Debate: 48 ÷ 2(9+3) = ?

48 ÷ 2(9+3) = ?

  • 288

    Votes: 46 48.9%
  • 2

    Votes: 41 43.6%
  • Other

    Votes: 7 7.4%

  • Total voters
    94

Awwwyea

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I spoiler'd all this because I realized how big a post it'd be. A lot of this is rambling and most of the thoughts are separate from each other, but they all make sense.
48/2(9+3) is really shorthand for

48/2*(9+3)

^That is a fact, the multiplication is implied, and the * is left out. Writing it out fully leaves less room for ambiguity.

The next step is what causes all the arguing -- Do you leave the parenthesis, or remove them? The problem I see with this is that leaving them in is completely pointless. If you write the equation out fully, like I just did above, you can seamlessly remove the parenthesis with no trouble whatsoever, leaving us with this;

48/2*12

One problem with the full equation is that there are two options in which parenthesis can be implied, causing a split. Aka;

(48/2)(9+2) = 288
48/(2(9+3) = 2

Everybody wants to assume which pair is implied first when in reality nobody really knows which is correct. The creator of the equation would need to clarify, because any professional mathematician will tell you that this is not how you properly write an equation. This ambiguity wouldn't happen, however, if the equation had been written out, as seen above. Implying multiplication is a bad idea, and is only another way the creator of the equation made this problem as vague as it is.

Because of all this, I still stand by 288 as the correct answer because the parenthesis are unnecessary after the simplification inside of them has been completed.

Then you solve left to right, which is a factual and inarguable rule of PEMDAS/BODMAS/whatever the hell you want. I'm sure that all reasonable people will agree on this.

The problem is that whoever made the equation up either;
-Doesn't know how to do math (innocent)
-Is a complete arsehole (guilty troll)

I'm sure we can agree on this too. ;)

TL;DR: -Fact: Multi/Divisi or Addi/Subtracti goes left to right on an equation, ALWAYS.
-I insult the creator of the problem a bit because no clarification.
-Always write out confusing equations in their full form to remove ambiguous sections.
 

Jayfeather

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But they're numbers so you can't distribute (imply) them. They don't stand for variables, but the numbers that are already in the equation.
EDIIIIT: YOOOOOOOOOO
K SO
The original equation is 48 (old division symbol) 2
THEREFORE
it CAN NOT BE 48/2*(9+3) but actually 48/2 (9+3)
[Trying to convey that the division HAS to happen first to equal 288]
 
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Vatumok

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The answer could be both and one is no better than the other. The problem is bad notation.
I could make up arguments for both 2 and 288.
2: The 2 placed against the bracket implies that the 2 belongs to the (9+3) part, which means it's both part of the division.
288: You write it as 48/2 * (9+3) and work it out from left to right, because that's something you've learned.
The thing is, both of these are unofficial rules and your answer can differ based on how you were educated.
If this wants to be avoided it should have been written differently.
(48/2) * (9+3) is inarguably 288 and 48/(2(9+3)) is inarguably 2.
Or you can just write it down and use division lines to avoid any confusion.
 
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Duffie

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But they're numbers so you can't distribute (imply) them. They don't stand for variables, but the numbers that are already in the equation.
EDIIIIT: YOOOOOOOOOO
K SO
The original equation is 48 (old division symbol) 2
THEREFORE
it CAN NOT BE 48/2*(9+3) but actually 48/2 (9+3)
[Trying to convey that the division HAS to happen first to equal 288]
Believe it or not, but / is just a replacement for ÷, as * is a replacement for x. (or that dot we always use.)

So, it still stands as 288 for me. :p
 

Duffie

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Okay! I understand the feud now!

The reason people get 288 is the normal problem above, a left to right equation.

The reason people get 2 is when 2(9+3) is a denoninator below 48 as a fraction, always resulting in a 2!

This problem, in general, is too vague to answer; especially with just a /.

... But, with the problem this thread is about, including a division symbol, the answer has to be 288, due to the order of operations.
 
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Trap_Wolf

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Why on earth does each country have a different form of 'BEDMAS' (Or PEDMAS, or BIDMAS, e.t.c.)? :confused:
I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND TRANSLATION.
YES BECAUSE SOMEHOW MATHS IS INVOLVED IN CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.
WHO CARES ABOUT THEIR SQUABBLE. IT'S EASILY DISPUTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ANSWER WITH WHATEVER THE TEACHER/PROFESSOR/SOMEONE IS ASKING. DOESN'T MATTER, JUST GET A GOOD GRADE.

NOW, CULTURALLY IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT DIVULGES INTO THE BROAD INTERPRETATION OF PROCESSING INFORMATION FOR THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF TEACHING THE INFORMATION. AS IN, WHY DOES AUSTRALIA COACH THEIR STUDENTS IN RECOGNISING BIDMAS AND AMERICA AS PEDMAS, AND WOULD SOMEONE FROM AMERICA UNDERSTAND AUSTRALIA'S ELUCIDATION OF THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS AND VICE VERSA. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ATTEMPT TO CULTIVATE BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW THE AVERAGE PERSON TO COMMUNICATE, VIA A TEACHER GOING FROM THE STATES TO AUSTRALIA TO BE A TEACHER, THEIR MESSAGE/METHOD OF TEACHING IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MANNER. ((this could also be done with other tidbits of information))

IT'S FASCINATING. :33333333333333333333
 

Damer_Flinn

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I couldn't care less about the argument at this point since I know I'll get frustrated trying to explain it. But what really bugs me at this point is the **DMAS that you all are quoting. I was taught Division and Multiplication together (left to right as stated) since they're the same thing, and Addition and Subtraction together since they're the same thing.
 

Theodorre

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WHO CARES ABOUT THEIR SQUABBLE. IT'S EASILY DISPUTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ANSWER WITH WHATEVER THE TEACHER/PROFESSOR/SOMEONE IS ASKING. DOESN'T MATTER, JUST GET A GOOD GRADE.

NOW, CULTURALLY IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT DIVULGES INTO THE BROAD INTERPRETATION OF PROCESSING INFORMATION FOR THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF TEACHING THE INFORMATION. AS IN, WHY DOES AUSTRALIA COACH THEIR STUDENTS IN RECOGNISING BIDMAS AND AMERICA AS PEDMAS, AND WOULD SOMEONE FROM AMERICA UNDERSTAND AUSTRALIA'S ELUCIDATION OF THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS AND VICE VERSA. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ATTEMPT TO CULTIVATE BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW THE AVERAGE PERSON TO COMMUNICATE, VIA A TEACHER GOING FROM THE STATES TO AUSTRALIA TO BE A TEACHER, THEIR MESSAGE/METHOD OF TEACHING IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MANNER. ((this could also be done with other tidbits of information))

IT'S FASCINATING. :33333333333333333333




...YOU WIN.
 

cheatyface

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I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND TRANSLATION.
YES BECAUSE SOMEHOW MATHS IS INVOLVED IN CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.
WHO CARES ABOUT THEIR SQUABBLE. IT'S EASILY DISPUTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ANSWER WITH WHATEVER THE TEACHER/PROFESSOR/SOMEONE IS ASKING. DOESN'T MATTER, JUST GET A GOOD GRADE.
That isn't math, it's fascism.
TIL. A quarter of Blocktopia doesn't know how to maths.

I almost failed 11th grade math at a public school and even I know this.
I failed grade 9 and 10 math. Had to make them both up in summer school. And even I know this.
 
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Duffie

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It seems another thing people do is use multiplication before division.

I suppose it does fixate on the teacher and how they teach it, but I honestly believe that multiplication and division should always be combined. :p

Still, the problem is too vague when it includes the /, so both answers are essentially right.
 

Toiletprincess

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It seems another thing people do is use multiplication before division.

I suppose it does fixate on the teacher and how they teach it, but I honestly believe that multiplication and division should always be combined. :p

Still, the problem is too vague when it includes the /, so both answers are essentially right.
The way we do it:
Brackets
Indices
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

The way i did it was me working out the number inside the brackets "Brackets"
And the dividing it because there was nothing else to do "Division"
 

Duffie

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It seems another thing people do is use multiplication before division.

I suppose it does fixate on the teacher and how they teach it, but I honestly believe that multiplication and division should always be combined. :p

Still, the problem is too vague when it includes the /, so both answers are essentially right.
The way we do it:
Brackets
Indices
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

The way i did it was me working out the number inside the brackets "Brackets"
And the dividing it because there was nothing else to do "Division"
Ah, that was another thing I was going to add, as I've done earlier in this thread.

Alongside not putting multiplication and division together, some teachers teach that whatever is touching the parenthesis (or brackets, I suppose) goes along with that problem, as distribution.

What gets me with that, is... The 2 is on the outside of the parenthesis. If you were to look at the problem like this;
48 / 2 x (9 + 3)

Would it effectively be the same answer?

The 2 isn't inside the brackets in this problem, as it's sitting by the 48. (Or under it, if you want to be skeptical like that.)
 

Toiletprincess

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It seems another thing people do is use multiplication before division.

I suppose it does fixate on the teacher and how they teach it, but I honestly believe that multiplication and division should always be combined. :p

Still, the problem is too vague when it includes the /, so both answers are essentially right.
The way we do it:
Brackets
Indices
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

The way i did it was me working out the number inside the brackets "Brackets"
And the dividing it because there was nothing else to do "Division"
Ah, that was another thing I was going to add, as I've done earlier in this thread.

Alongside not putting multiplication and division together, some teachers teach that whatever is touching the parenthesis (or brackets, I suppose) goes along with that problem, as distribution.

What gets me with that, is... The 2 is on the outside of the parenthesis. If you were to look at the problem like this;
48 / 2 x (9 + 3)

Would it effectively be the same answer?

The 2 isn't inside the brackets in this problem, as it's sitting by the 48. (Or under it, if you want to be skeptical like that.)
Its just how I was taught to do it *shrug*
 
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