48÷2(9+3)

[FICU]

I'm kind of curious as to the education levels in relation to the answers.
I say 288, without hesitance (Bsc & Ms).

I was a ski bum after high school... 288 for me.

[Geko]

[iflyforpie]

I will admit that after reading this all over again, the way the problem is written is kind of like a sentence with a misplaced modifier.

The absence of further brackets or the 'x' sign makes a person think that 2 belongs with (9+3) and because of the brackets people will do that whole operation first.

That is why people will get cheated out of a Ferrari.

[Brewguy]

That's awesome!

[trampbike]

Thanks for posting that Geko!

It's exactly what I said: some calculators want to save you some time, so when you write 48/2(9+3) they assume you meant 48/[2(9+3)]. Others don't.

It's not a math problem, but a writing convention.

[cdnpilot77]

Please notice it is the newer version of the calculator (Ti-86) with the CORRECT answer! The older Ti-85 obviously had some flaws in its computing power that were corrected for the newer model.

[Beefitarian]

This is exactly the sort of thing that would happen in most math classes I have been in. Next thing the instructor can't explain the reason things are comming apart in a science that is not supposed to have room for subjective changes and I just leave annoyed. The time I spent learing at the girls in class and drawing dragons on the desk just brought my grade down further finally culminating in those "counslers" telling me, "You can't be a pilot. You don't have the grades for college."

[meflypretty]

Just copy and paste it to google search. Gives you the answer.

[Beefitarian]

I would think you need to do the part in the brackets first 48÷2(9+3) so it becomes 48÷2(12) then do it in order left to right to become 24(12) twenty four times twelve is the big answer.

I would wager there are teachers out there doing it differently and getting the small answer.

[paddy]

"]

"]

What game would that be? I quoted you verbatim and in context, where in this thread did I make those statements you're attempting to peg on me?

Verbatim but not in context. If it were in context you would have refuted the original argument, you used quotes from two different sourses which referred to something similar but were mutually exclusive. I never suggested the "x" needed to be used in the original question it was used in an alternate example to raise a point prudent to the explanation of how the answer to the original question was rendered.

Either way the answer is either 2 or 2 gross, two wins in both instances!!!

[beaverbob]

Take a look at this search.

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&rlz=1R2ADSA ... b1a442480b


Bob

[BigglesNBella]

Just copy and paste it to google search. Gives you the answer.

Nope, Google adds parentheses and operators to clarify the problem. There is no debate that (48/2)*(9+3) = 288, that is what Google solves for you.

Throw the equation into a pocket calculator. All of mine make the same assumption that I suspect the majority of people who have pursued post secondary education in math: that the 2 is distributed through the expression in parentheses before the division operation because there is no multiplication operator between them.

[ragbagflyer]

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/48293

When I first started reading this thread I was dismayed about what a bunch of idiots we (pilots) are. My vote was for 288 and my TI-83 calculator backed me up. Math is non negotiable right? Wrong! Apparently the math community lacks the common sense to clearly define this type of thing. Let's hope our FMS's, bombs, hospital equipment etc are programmed carefully to avoid this ambiguity!

[Beefitarian]

I'm fairly sure the military hasn't mentioned it but all the missiles went dead on the first of January 2000.

[BigglesNBella]

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/48293

When I first started reading this thread I was dismayed about what a bunch of idiots we (pilots) are. My vote was for 288 and my TI-83 calculator backed me up. Math is non negotiable right? Wrong! Apparently the math community lacks the common sense to clearly define this type of thing. Let's hope our FMS's, bombs, hospital equipment etc are programmed carefully to avoid this ambiguity!

I'm sure you've noticed that the math people on here noticed right away that the expression is ambiguous. That's good enough for me!

Type the expression into a pocket calculator... mine all say 2!

[Just another canuck]

When I first started reading this thread I was dismayed about what a bunch of idiots we (pilots) are.

Same here... and I voted for 2. LOL. 288 didn't even occur to me as I was taught to assume the bracket part of the equation had to be calculated first. It would be considered "higher priority" as it is next to brackets and standard BEDMAS would not apply.

I can obviously see how one could come to the conclusion of 288, but I disagree with that answer.

To me, it feels more correct, if that makes sense, to complete the multiplication first. Yes, brackets would clear it up, but even without them, I would never have thought to complete the division first. It just don't feel right.

[Guido]

Ok, so I'm good friends with a fellow who's a PhD candidate in statistics, and understands math better than anyone I know. I sent him a link to this thread for a chuckle and here's how he replied. I think it sums up exactly why people are having a difficult time with the question. Here's his response:

That's interesting.

My initial instinct is that the answer is, of course, that 48÷2(9+3) = 288. But then, my initial instinct is also that 16 ÷ 2[8 – 3(4 – 2)] + 1 = 5, which obviously contradicts my earlier methods.

The challenge has nothing to do with the actual calculation, it only has to do with a lack clarity about the order of operations with respect to multiplication by juxtaposition. This is the type of question that makes people hate maths. It would never come up except perhaps on an exam written by some overzealous school teacher attempting to ensure that all of his students memorized his made-up precedence of operations. If someone asked me to answer this I would refuse, and I would tell them to stop asking stupid questions.

That being said, the answer is obviously 288.

[Just another canuck]

PhD candidate in statistics

Hedley told me that a PhD is a waste of time and a nothing more than a useless piece of paper, therefore your friend must be wrong.

[ArcticKat]

16 ÷ 2[8 – 3(4 – 2)] + 1 = 5

No it isn't, the answer is 81.

[paddy]

We have 48 pies to eat. There are two class rooms of kids with nine girls and three boys in each. How many pies will each student receive. 48/2(9+3)

Answer .....two

[ArcticKat]

We have 48 pies to eat. There are two class rooms of kids with nine girls and three boys in each. How many pies will each student receive. 48/2(9+3)

Answer .....two

We have 48 bitches, half of them died, the rest had 12 pups each, 9 males and 3 females. How many puppies are there? 48/2(9+3)

Answer, 288.



Anyone can invent a stupid and irrelevant example. Still proves nothing. Please visit:
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=72303

[erics2b]

We have 48 pies to eat. There are two class rooms of kids with nine girls and three boys in each. How many pies will each student receive. 48/2(9+3)

Answer .....two