Debate: 48 ÷ 2(9+3) = ?

[RyanDodd]

Well, I think they're all correct. It all depends on what you are taught, and this equation is just a special case.

I messaged my teacher, and she said 2. Here's what she gave me:

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

She reasoned that 48 divided by 2(9+3) would be 48 divided by (18+6), which gives 48/24.

Not that your argument doesn't make sense. I agree to it to a certain extent, but if that question came out during exams and I gave 288 as my answer, I'd fail that question.

It really depends on how you are educated.

If you want to resolve this problem, the only way is to write the question more clearly.

Either
(48/2)(9+3)
Or
48/[2(9+3)]

I agree with this fully.

 

[Pikmon2]

PEMDAS

=

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

But in all seriousness, I am leaning towards it being 2. Since 2(9+3), is also 2(12), I'm pretty sure this would be considered in with the parenthesis step, since you're working to remove them. Therefore, you'd do everything to get rid of the parenthesis first, then work it out later, which translates to this:

48 ÷ 2(9+3)
2(9+3)
2(12)...keeping in mind that the parenthesis step isn't over until the parenthesis are gone...
48 ÷ 24
2


It's how I've been taught that in

Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

That the "P" step isn't complete until you remove the parenthesis. Leaving them in the problem (which results in 288) is incorrect because you aren't actually solving them, in this case because they are connected to a multiplication problem.

woah someone else was taught Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally!

 

[Duffie]

woah someone else was taught Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally!

As was I. xD

In my current school, we just pronounce is pehm-dahs now.

 

[Hockeyfan1852]

The way I was taught is PEMDAS but the teacher said with Multiplication and Division as well as Addition and Subtraction, that you have to read it left to right.

 

[Duffie]

Okay.

I love math, and I can clearly tell now. I've been up for the past... *checks time of first post* ... 6 hours now.

I've been enjoying my attempt at trying to convince everyone that the answer is 288.

Thank you all for this awesome conversation that will probably go on forever due to the stubbornness of man.

 

[Notme]

Okay.

I love math, and I can clearly tell now. I've been up for the past... *checks time of first post* ... 6 hours now.

I've been enjoying my attempt at trying to convince everyone that the answer is 288.

Thank you all for this awesome conversation that will probably go on forever due to the stubbornness of man.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/48293
It depends on how you treat multiplication and division.

Wolfram alpha and calculators treats it like that:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48 ÷ 2(9+3)

 

[Willchill]

Yeah BEDMAS (Brackets, exponents, division...) Have no idea what P in PEDMAS is.
So = 288 right.
48/2 (9+3)
48/2(12)
24*12
I win

Parenthesis since brackets are nearly nonexistent :>

Parenthesis = brackets. :c

 

[Duffie]

It depends on how you treat multiplication and division.

More like it's how you treat the distributive property.

I still feel like 2 is wrong, as distribution to a parenthesis that is incomplete is not the right way to go. What you need to do is complete inside the parenthesis before moving on, as the 2 is on the outside. :<

 

[Notme]

It depends on how you treat multiplication and division.

More like it's how you treat the distributive property.

I still feel like 2 is wrong, as distribution to a parenthesis that is incomplete is not the right way to go. What you need to do is complete inside the parenthesis before moving on, as the 2 is on the outside. :<

48 ÷ 2(9+3)=(48÷2)*(9+3)=24*12=288 I took them at once here :)
48÷ 2(9+3)=48/2(9+3)=48/(2*12)=2 - Treating 48 as counter, treating 2(9+3) as denominator, treating "÷" as whole equation was fraction.

I think its fault of how equation was written

 

[Duffie]

It depends on how you treat multiplication and division.

More like it's how you treat the distributive property.

I still feel like 2 is wrong, as distribution to a parenthesis that is incomplete is not the right way to go. What you need to do is complete inside the parenthesis before moving on, as the 2 is on the outside. :<

48 ÷ 2(9+3)=(48÷2)*(9+3)=24*12=288 I took them at once here :)
48÷ 2(9+3)=48/2(9+3)=48/(2*12)=2 - Treating 48 as counter, treating 2(9+3) as denominator, treating "÷" as whole equation was fraction.

I think its fault of how equation was written

OOOOOOOOH.

See, if this problem was on paper, and the second part of the equation, being 2(9+3), was on the bottom of the line... This might have been an ENTIRELY different debate.

So, what you're saying is... It would be, something like this?

48
----------
2(9+3)

See, that just makes it more confusing... But, I still stand by my answer.

 

[FrenchSanta12]

To be honest it usually depends on what the teacher is asking you to do. But BIDMAS is still a right thing:

Brackets
Indicies
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction

brackets (9+3)
how ever, sometimes division and multiplication have the same value. But we'll devide the 48:2= 24 24*12= 288

 

[Nottykitten]

48/2(9+3) = 48/18+6 = 2.666667+6 = 8.666667
Am I doing this right?
Yes this is a joke.
I still think its 2, but I've been convinced by reading duffie's post that it can also be 288.

 

[Notme]

Both of them are correct - I still think equation is too vague XD

Proof, that its something wrong with equation:
48÷2(9+3)=48÷2(9+3)
(48÷2)*(9+3)=48/(2*(9+3))
24*12=48/24
288=2
144=1

 

[Duffie]

Both of them are correct - I still think equation is too vague XD

Proof, that its something wrong with equation:
48÷2(9+3)=48÷2(9+3)
(48÷2)*(9+3)=48/(2*(9+3))
24*12=48/24
288=2
144=1

Maybe, just maybe...

This is a divide by zero situation.

 

[Nottykitten]

48/2(9+3) = 42

Problem solved.

 

[Notme]

Both of them are correct - I still think equation is too vague XD

Proof, that its something wrong with equation:
48÷2(9+3)=48÷2(9+3)
(48÷2)*(9+3)=48/(2*(9+3))
24*12=48/24
288=2
144=1

Maybe, just maybe...

This is a divide by zero situation.

It would work, if instead of 9+3 was 1
In left side of equation 9+3 is in counter and in right side is in denominator.


[(48÷2)*(9+3)]/[48/(2*(9+3))]=1
[24*12]/[48/24]=1
288/2=1
144=1
Still doesn't work XD

Lets replace 9+3 with x :D
[(48÷2)*(x)]/[48/(2*(x))]=1
[24x]/[48/2x]=1
[24x]*[2x/48]=1
[48x^2]/48=1
(x^2)=1
x=1 or x=-1

Or lets do this :D
[(48÷2)*(9+3)]/[48/(2*(9+3))]=y
[24*12]/[48/24]=y
288/2=y
144=y
lel

 

[Ceres]

48/2 (9+3)=?
48/2 (12)
24 (12)
24x12=288
?=288

 

[FlyHater]

80085

 

[Enderfive]

48 / 2(9+3) = ?
48 / 2 * 12 = ?
24 * 12 = ?
24 * 12 = 288

Simple math.

The way I was taught is PEMDAS but the teacher said with Multiplication and Division as well as Addition and Subtraction, that you have to read it left to right.

This. I was taught the exact same thing and I stand by it.

 

[Shinyshark]

Debate: 48 ÷ 2(9+3) = ?

First we do (9+3)= 12
Then we go back to 48 ÷ 2 because we prioritize from left to right. That is 24.
12 * 24 = 288.

The answer is 288.

Brackets are prioritized in most cases. ÷ and * go before + and - but seeing as they're on the same priority, you work it down as you would normally. From left to right.

 

[Jayfeather]

Yeah BEDMAS (Brackets, exponents, division...) Have no idea what P in PEDMAS is.
So = 288 right.
48/2 (9+3)
48/2(12)
24*12
I win

Parenthesis since brackets are nearly nonexistent :>

Parenthesis = brackets. :c

[ - (
BPEMDAS in all technicality. But like I said it's so incredibly rare to see [ that the B isn't used in the acronym

 

[Love]

Spoiler: The answer is

How I was taught in School:

PEMDAS:
Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiply
Divide
Add
Subtract

48/2(9+3)

Parenthesis
(9+3) = 12

Exponents

Multiply
2(12) = 24

Divide
48/12 = 2

Addition

Subtraction

 

[cheatyface]

Both of them are correct - I still think equation is too vague XD

Proof, that its something wrong with equation:
48÷2(9+3)=48÷2(9+3)
(48÷2)*(9+3)=48/(2*(9+3))
24*12=48/24
288=2
144=1

You explicity change both sides of the equation in a way that isn't the same. We don't add brackets to equations, we adjust values from both sides with equal measure.

Overall, this thread really disappoints me. Math has specifically correct answers and everything else is wrong. Some of the things I've read in here don't even make sense. If the equation were:
42
-------
2(9+3)
then it would have been written 42/(2(9+3)). This is something I have to think about as a software developer all the time. Programming is very specific in syntax and won't figure out what you meant rather than what you typed. The shorthand notations of math are sometimes confusing to read, but they always have explicit meaning.

I think someone alluded to the idea that 42/2 might be a fraction rather than a division. If that's what was meant, then you don't understand what fractions are. Which may be fine, a lot of people here are young, and I don't remember what years I learned things in math, so you may just not know.

Math is a fickle subject when you do it wrong. I'm pretty bad at it myself, (a few months ago I got the wrong answer to a question because I added and subtracted right to left instead of correctly, and took 10 minutes to figure out why I had it wrong). But the order of operations isn't up for debate, nor is the way the equation is written. The rules for algebra only apply when working with algebraic equations.

What makes me saddest about all of this, is that basic math like this does get used in every day life by most people. Even employees in warehouses and hardware stores usually need to know this kind of thing. Question why you are getting the answer you have, and make an effort to ensure that you're following the correct procedure. And don't just rely on teachers, they can be both wrong and not very good at math.

 

[Notme]

Both of them are correct - I still think equation is too vague XD

Proof, that its something wrong with equation:
48÷2(9+3)=48÷2(9+3)
(48÷2)*(9+3)=48/(2*(9+3))
24*12=48/24
288=2
144=1

You explicity change both sides of the equation in a way that isn't the same. We don't add brackets to equations, we adjust values from both sides with equal measure.

Overall, this thread really disappoints me. Math has specifically correct answers and everything else is wrong. Some of the things I've read in here don't even make sense. If the equation were:
42
-------
2(9+3)
then it would have been written 42/(2(9+3)). This is something I have to think about as a software developer all the time. Programming is very specific in syntax and won't figure out what you meant rather than what you typed. The shorthand notations of math are sometimes confusing to read, but they always have explicit meaning.

I think someone alluded to the idea that 42/2 might be a fraction rather than a division. If that's what was meant, then you don't understand what fractions are. Which may be fine, a lot of people here are young, and I don't remember what years I learned things in math, so you may just not know.

Math is a fickle subject when you do it wrong. I'm pretty bad at it myself, (a few months ago I got the wrong answer to a question because I added and subtracted right to left instead of correctly, and took 10 minutes to figure out why I had it wrong). But the order of operations isn't up for debate, nor is the way the equation is written. The rules for algebra only apply when working with algebraic equations.

What makes me saddest about all of this, is that basic math like this does get used in every day life by most people. Even employees in warehouses and hardware stores usually need to know this kind of thing. Question why you are getting the answer you have, and make an effort to ensure that you're following the correct procedure. And don't just rely on teachers, they can be both wrong and not very good at math.

But why you quoted me? I know all of what you said.
I was half-serious with these - I just wanted to show paradox here.

48÷2(9+3)=48÷2*12=24*12=288.
I know that multiplication/division (same with addition/subtraction) has same priority, so you just go from left to right.

 

[Guest35486]

Complicated stuff.

Spoiler