What Is The Answer To This Math Problem?

huh?

So, where'd you get the 576?

Oh >.> lol

The answer isn't 288 or 2. It's undefined.

p.s. although if you were told by a teacher undefined wasn't the correct answer(which would never happen in this case cause this question is clearly there to see how well you follow directions) The correct answer would be 288 following standard mathematical procedure. Doesn't matter if its pemdas, pimdas, or haggen das, procedure is always left to right when dealing with multiplication/divison. And neither multiplication nor divison takes precedence over one another in terms of order of operation.

Wouldn't we distribute in this case?

EDIT: just did the math and with distributing the answer comes out to 8.6666...
48/2(9+3)
48/18+6
2.6666...+6
8.6666... so now we have a third answer to argue about.

Though I agree that multiplication nor division takes precedence and the the standard mathematical procedure is to work from left to right, I still feel that we have not reached the multiplication/division stage of the problem and are still dealing with the brackets.

Solving what's inside the brackets makes the equation

48/2(12)

We still have brackets that imply a multiplication, If we change this implied multiplication to an expressed multiplication we get

48/2*12 = 288

but here you have made the assumption that an implied multiplication is the same as an expressed multiplication. Where the implied multiplication may have meant what is inside the brackets is multiplied by the factor outside the brackets before continuing to solve the problem under normal rules. This would make the equation

48/24 = 2

As many have said the equation is ambiguous and unless the problem is stated more clearly neither answer is wrong.

That's sick man!

I do actually have an Uncle Jack, and he used to be a farmer too :p

According to my Abacus, ...... ***I dropped it and the beads got messed up. afk time to hit the bong a few times.

Actually we don't, because that is in no way how distribution works. If the Distributive Property is applicable then (9+3) must be in the denominator (ie the equation is really 48/[2(9+3)]), in which case we have 48/(18+6) = 48/24 = 2.

lol, you got a chuckle out of me for what it's worth :)

always, never, sometimes, maybe,
daffodill, springtime, sunshine, daisy,
eternity, infinity, yesterday, never,
today, tomorrow, next thursday, forever
circle, spoon, rectangle, gumdrop forrest,
Capricorn, unicorn, car bomb, Sagatarius.

so the answer is Sagatarius, you're welcome

Ah... the most philosophical of all the signs.

Hmmmm....

I got √4 as the answer.

288??? WTF really?

This is why the public school system fails.

Is saying you got the square root of 4 your idea of trying to look smart? You failed pretty badly, read the thread.

Only people who fail are idiots saying 288.

Please: 48÷2(9+3)=48÷2(12)

Excuse: N/A

My: 48÷2(12)=48÷24

Dear: 48÷24=2

Aunt: N/A

Sally: N/A

I don't need to read 10 pages of morons. Google the stupid problem and there are hundreds of posts on this HELP I AM TRAPPED IN 2006 PLEASE SEND A TIME MACHINE subject.

You just proved you were the idiot by not understanding PEMDAS. I just love the bittersweet taste of righteous wrongness.

Its not

P
E
M
D
A
S

It is
P
E
MD
AS

Multiplication and division are calculate simultaneously. Addition and subtraction are calculated simultaneously. Always. The real question about the ambiguity of the problem comes from how to interpret the layout of the problem when its all entered on one line of a calculator.

If you actually read the 10 pages (or 1 page on google for that matter) you'd have understood that and saved yourself from not looking like a fool for not understanding the basic rules of PEMDAS.


If you want to understand why Multiplication and Division are weighted equally: 4/2 = 2; 4*(1/2) = 2

4*2 = 8; 4/(1/2) = 8

I'll let you work out why addition and subtraction are weighted equally.

Is it???

According to you it could mean:

4÷1(1/2)=

(4÷1)(1/2)=

4(.5)=

=2


How is 48÷2(9+3) any different? I read that as 48/2(9+3) = numerator/denominator done.

I don't read it as (48/2)(9+3)= 288 like some jackass.

Wow. You need to be less of a douche and read the thread.

wat

4 / (1 / 2) != (4/1)(1/2)

4 / (1 / 2) = 4 * (1 / (1 / 2)) = 4 * 2

Multiplication and division are reciprocal functions; you must invoke this reciprocal when switching between them.

1) you were insistent that you KNEW how PEMDAS worked, which you clearly showed you did not. You stated quite vehemently the other that you thought you should do OOO in, when in fact you'd get a problem that genuinely and clearly tested OOO wrong. And you were a pretty big jerk to those people who knew how to do OOO correctly, when you thought they didn't.
2) I am not saying you could interpret a problem like that. The fact that YOU interpreted the problem like that only goes to show that there is confusion in reading problems on one line. If you actually read the last few pages, you'll understand exactly what the problem is.
3) Your arrogance is what cost you. YOU "KNEW" people were doing the problem wrong without having to even read. YOU "KNEW" that the problem you read was the right way to read it, without even understanding the issue others had with it. Now you know that you're the jerk for not reading the whole thing through.

2. :)


/fly away.

Well isn't (1/2) = 1(1/2)?

So 4/1(1/2) should be the same thing just like 48/2(9+3).

So (4/1)(1/2) is 2. Just like (48/2)(9+3) is 288.

Obviously the above makes no sense. Just like 288.

Not when you're dealing with fractions.

You'd need to multiply the entire thing by 1/1, which would resolve the fractions first, and get rid of the 1s. if you're trying to distribute across division you're doing something wrong.

EDIT: I think you're trying to distribute across division. Take a look at the distributive rule. 1(1/2) is not the same thing as 2(9+3). And if you're going to continue arguing about distribution, READ THE THREAD. PARTICULARLY THIS BIT HEURR

Then if you still don't get it read the next two pages of this thread.

As written:
48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
48÷2*12
48*(1/2)*12
48*.5*12
=288

If it were written:
48÷(2(9+3))
48÷(2(12))
48÷(2*12)
48÷24
=2

!st how is this still going

One person that shows the answer as anything but 288. Please show me a creditable website with order of operations.

Also, Can we start stating your views when answering a question like this. Republican vs. Democrat I would love to see the number of people who think the answer is 288 vs 2

Did you never learn this in school? I'll explain it.

PEMDAS or BEDMAS however you want to call it, it's the same thing.

1. Parenthesis (Brackets)
2. Exponents
3. Division and Multiplication from left to right.
4. Addition and Subtraction from left to right.


The answer is 288

I can't believe the incompetence that the original troll exploited. Amazing really.