48÷2(9+3) = ??? -- VOTE!! Poll Added

[AK11]

The 2 is outside the parentheses, so please do not include it or imply it. As mentioned before, multiplication and division are equals in order of operations, so left to right is correct. When you enter it to an Excel spreadsheet for the calculation to be made, it has to entered as 48 / 2 * (9 + 3). Once you add 9 + 3 to equal 12, you are done with the parentheses and they essentially disappear to make it 48 / 2 x 12. As assessed before, that equals 288 utilizing division then multiplication as that is the order left to right. I am 26, was put in advanced math courses before I left elementary and then dropped them in 8th grade due to personal reasons. I have made A's in math class as far as I can recall. I had a 100 average for a 1/3 of my pre-calculus class my senior year of high school. I have all A's through all 4 business math courses in college. I scored a 680 of 800 on my SAT math portion and that's with questions unanswered due to time restraints. I could have had chosen a math degree if I had the motivation and no health issues. My mother teaches Pre-Calculus and Algebra 2 currently while also haven taught Geometry and Algebra 1 as well in high school with a Math major herself. Anybody reading it with 2 (9 + 3) as a denominator and 48 on top is making as if the 2 in within the parentheses and it is not.

 

[TBTwinsFan]

Multiple math teachers and professors have confirmed the "true" answer is 288. Why is this discussion still ongoing?

Probably because this idiot (me) got the answer right.

I thought that it was a given rule that (example) 2(3) = 2 x 3. I never knew that it was assumed and not mandatory.

Math teacher fail?

2(3) = 2x3

But...

2(3) does not necessarily equal (2x3)

Wouldn't (2x3) imply that there is an exponent involved on the outside of the parenthesis?

I am probably just confusing it with another aspect of math.

 

[rehmus]

The 2 is outside the parentheses, so please do not include it or imply it. As mentioned before, multiplication and division are equals in order of operations, so left to right is correct. When you enter it to an Excel spreadsheet for the calculation to be made, it has to entered as 48 / 2 * (9 + 3). Once you add 9 + 3 to equal 12, you are done with the parentheses and they essentially disappear to make it 48 / 2 x 12. As assessed before, that equals 288 utilizing division then multiplication as that is the order left to right. I am 26, was put in advanced math courses before I left elementary and then dropped them in 8th grade due to personal reasons. I have made A's in math class as far as I can recall. I had a 100 average for a 1/3 of my pre-calculus class my senior year of high school. I have all A's through all 4 business math courses in college. I scored a 680 of 800 on my SAT math portion and that's with questions unanswered due to time restraints. I could have had chosen a math degree if I had the motivation and no health issues. My mother teaches Pre-Calculus and Algebra 2 currently while also haven taught Geometry and Algebra 1 as well in high school with a Math major herself. Anybody reading it with 2 (9 + 3) as a denominator and 48 on top is making as if the 2 in within the parentheses and it is not.

However, the answer 2 could be justified by the principle of implied multiplication. For example, consider the problem "2/5x."
If one strictly follows the standard order of operations, the correct interpretation would be “(2/5)*(x).”
But many calculators and textbooks state that a higher value of precedence should be placed on implied multiplication than on explicit multiplication:
Because “5x” is implied to be "5*x," it gets higher priority than "2/5." In this case, "2/5x" would be interpreted as "(2)/(5*x)."
Returning to the original problem, if one utilizes the principles of implied multiplication, then “2(9+3)” gets higher precedence than the explicit “48/2.”

 

[jbhofmann]

The 2 is outside the parentheses, so please do not include it or imply it. As mentioned before, multiplication and division are equals in order of operations, so left to right is correct. When you enter it to an Excel spreadsheet for the calculation to be made, it has to entered as 48 / 2 * (9 + 3). Once you add 9 + 3 to equal 12, you are done with the parentheses and they essentially disappear to make it 48 / 2 x 12. As assessed before, that equals 288 utilizing division then multiplication as that is the order left to right. I am 26, was put in advanced math courses before I left elementary and then dropped them in 8th grade due to personal reasons. I have made A's in math class as far as I can recall. I had a 100 average for a 1/3 of my pre-calculus class my senior year of high school. I have all A's through all 4 business math courses in college. I scored a 680 of 800 on my SAT math portion and that's with questions unanswered due to time restraints. I could have had chosen a math degree if I had the motivation and no health issues. My mother teaches Pre-Calculus and Algebra 2 currently while also haven taught Geometry and Algebra 1 as well in high school with a Math major herself. Anybody reading it with 2 (9 + 3) as a denominator and 48 on top is making as if the 2 in within the parentheses and it is not.

However, the answer 2 could be justified by the principle of implied multiplication. For example, consider the problem "2/5x."
If one strictly follows the standard order of operations, the correct interpretation would be “(2/5)*(x).”
But many calculators and textbooks state that a higher value of precedence should be placed on implied multiplication than on explicit multiplication:
Because “5x” is implied to be "5*x," it gets higher priority than "2/5." In this case, "2/5x" would be interpreted as "(2)/(5*x)."
Returning to the original problem, if one utilizes the principles of implied multiplication, then “2(9+3)” gets higher precedence than the explicit “48/2.”

Enter a value for "x" in your example.

 

[AK11]

Implied multiplication was never implied in any of my math courses. (Small play on words there) My mother's been teaching math full time for 2 decades and substituting before that. I will ask her when she gets home by just putting this problem in front of her to solve. Let you know later...

 

[thefatguy]

288 = 48 / 2 (x+3)
(x+3) 288 = 24
(x+3) = 24/288 = .08333 - 3 = -2.917


2 = 48 / 2 (x+3)
(x+3) 2 = 24
x + 3 = 12
x = 9

GOING TO EAT THE THREAD NOW

 

[Anthony K.]

Just wanted to toss my answer in (which I answered on Facebook yesterday): 288.

I am no genius, but math has always been my strong suit. I turn 26 this weekend, so I was taught the "old school" PEMDAS, but was always under the understanding that the M&D were equal and the A&S were equal. In regards to the parentheses, I was always taught to perform everything INSIDE the parentheses and then to move on to the normal order of operations, from left to right.

Multiplication was never given more weight than division, addition was never given more weight than subtraction.

Thus, I performed:

48/2(9+3) - 48/2(12) - 24(12) = 288.

Not once did I hesitate and even consider the answer as 2. Poorly written math problem? Yes. Argument for 2? Possibly, but, in my opinion, the "minority" definitely has the right answer (which, you know, does include a few people with degrees in a mathematics field...I tend to lend creedence to people who have specialized in certain areas like that).

 

[Guest]

It's 288

 

[schillingfan]

I've been teaching 8th grade math for a couple of years now and concur that the answer is 288.

 

[Guest]

48÷2(9+3)
48÷2*(9+3)
48÷2*(12)
48÷2*12
24*12
288

 

[dutchj16]

The 2 is outside the parentheses, so please do not include it or imply it. As mentioned before, multiplication and division are equals in order of operations, so left to right is correct. When you enter it to an Excel spreadsheet for the calculation to be made, it has to entered as 48 / 2 * (9 + 3). Once you add 9 + 3 to equal 12, you are done with the parentheses and they essentially disappear to make it 48 / 2 x 12. As assessed before, that equals 288 utilizing division then multiplication as that is the order left to right. I am 26, was put in advanced math courses before I left elementary and then dropped them in 8th grade due to personal reasons. I have made A's in math class as far as I can recall. I had a 100 average for a 1/3 of my pre-calculus class my senior year of high school. I have all A's through all 4 business math courses in college. I scored a 680 of 800 on my SAT math portion and that's with questions unanswered due to time restraints. I could have had chosen a math degree if I had the motivation and no health issues. My mother teaches Pre-Calculus and Algebra 2 currently while also haven taught Geometry and Algebra 1 as well in high school with a Math major herself. Anybody reading it with 2 (9 + 3) as a denominator and 48 on top is making as if the 2 in within the parentheses and it is not.

:lol:

 

[Erich]

I did not read through this nonsense but how the **** is this baseball related.

 

[jbhofmann]

288 = 48 / 2 (x+3)
(x+3) 288 = 24
(x+3) = 24/288 = .08333 - 3 = -2.917


2 = 48 / 2 (x+3)
(x+3) 2 = 24
x + 3 = 12
x = 9

GOING TO EAT THE THREAD NOW

288=48/2 (x+3)
288= 24 (x+3)
288= 24x + 72
216=24x
9=x

 

[jbhofmann]

I did not read through this nonsense but how the frack is this baseball related.

You got 2 didn't ya?

 

[Dice-K Collector]

288

 

[TramFan3]

People always tell me that my masters degree in math has to be worth something. I currently drive a truck so I always disagree with them and say anyone can do math. Then I read this thread and now feel better about all that hardwork i did. Thanks guys!

 

[TBTwinsFan]

"old school" PEMDAS, but was always under the understanding that the M&D were equal and the A&S were equal.

That's what I learned. Multiplication and Division was on the same level, as well as Addition and Subtraction (I mean same on their own levels, not with everything else).

That was drilled into our dumb little heads and no other way was taught to us.

 

[rehmus]

again, the fact is that there isn't a definitive correct answer.

there is a perfectly legitimate mathematical theory which says the answer is 288.

there is a perfectly legitimate mathematical theory which says the answer is 2.

if there is a set of parentheses added as such everyone will agree the answer is 288: (48/2)(9+3)

if there is a set of parentheses added as such everyone will agree the answer is 2: 48/(2(9+3))

i can't prove 288 wrong. you can't prove 2 wrong.

more people voting accept the theory which leads to 2. more people commenting accept the theory which leads to 288.

There are considerable arguments for both answers, but the general consensus is that writing ambiguous fractions like “2/6x” makes solving such problems confusing, and it is considered bad form to write ambiguously written fractions in the first place.

it's called agreeing to disagree.

 

[jbhofmann]

again, the fact is that there isn't a definitive correct answer.

there is a perfectly legitimate mathematical theory which says the answer is 288.

there is a perfectly legitimate mathematical theory which says the answer is 2.

if there is a set of parentheses added as such everyone will agree the answer is 288: (48/2)(9+3)

if there is a set of parentheses added as such everyone will agree the answer is 2: 48/(2(9+3))

i can't prove 288 wrong. you can't prove 2 wrong.

more people voting accept the theory which leads to 2. more people commenting accept the theory which leads to 288.

There are considerable arguments for both answers, but the general consensus is that writing ambiguous fractions like “2/6x” makes solving such problems confusing, and it is considered bad form to write ambiguously written fractions in the first place.

it's called agreeing to disagree.

There is no variable in the original equation!

 

[AK11]

Someone needs to show off a baseball card to make this thread hobby talk