48÷2(9+3)=?

[roostuf]

ill be the first to admit that im retarded at maths but even i saw the flaw, it all reaaly depends on the equation you are using.

 

[Thomas Rembrandt]

The 2 is a part of the brackets

Right, that's why it's outside of them. :O

Nice try, though.

Patronising, nice.

There are two sets of (9+3), not a half set of 48. Clearly this isn't going to help, so let me explain it another way. If the question wasn't 48 ÷ 2(9+3) and was instead 48 ÷ (9+3)^2 then we wouldn't have 16 because we have a squared set of brackets, not a squared overall answer. Similarly, we have two sets of (9+3) shown by having a 2 immediately outside of the brackets. Because it is immediately the equation cannot be rewritten as such:

48 ÷ 2 x (9+3)

but can be rewritten as this:

48 ÷ (9+3)2

It makes no difference to the way the equation works in the second form, but makes drastic changes to the way the equation works in the first one.

The 2 is a part of the brackets

Right, that's why it's outside of them. :O

Nice try, though.

Patronising, nice.

There are two sets of (9+3), not a half set of 48. Clearly this isn't going to help, so let me explain it another way. If the question wasn't 48 ÷ 2(9+3) and was instead 48 ÷ (9+3)^2 then we wouldn't have 16 because we have a squared set of brackets, not a squared overall answer. Similarly, we have two sets of (9+3) shown by having a 2 immediately outside of the brackets. Because it is immediately the equation cannot be rewritten as such:

48 ÷ 2 x (9+3)

but can be rewritten as this:

48 ÷ (9+3)2

It makes no difference to the way the equation works in the second form, but makes drastic changes to the way the equation works in the first one.

Um, 48 / (9 + 3)^2 would be 48 / (12 * 12) but not 48 / 12 * 12 .

48 / (1+1)^2 would be 48 / (2 *(1 +1)) but not 48 / 2 * 2 . See? As in 48 / 2*(9+3) ?

x / y *z is not the same as x / (y*z).

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

The 2 is a part of the brackets

Right, that's why it's outside of them. :O

Nice try, though.

Patronising, nice.

There are two sets of (9+3), not a half set of 48. Clearly this isn't going to help, so let me explain it another way. If the question wasn't 48 ÷ 2(9+3) and was instead 48 ÷ (9+3)^2 then we wouldn't have 16 because we have a squared set of brackets, not a squared overall answer. Similarly, we have two sets of (9+3) shown by having a 2 immediately outside of the brackets. Because it is immediately the equation cannot be rewritten as such:

48 ÷ 2 x (9+3)

but can be rewritten as this:

48 ÷ (9+3)2

It makes no difference to the way the equation works in the second form, but makes drastic changes to the way the equation works in the first one.

Both answers are fine more brackets are needed it doesn't get much simpler than that. You can do the brackets first then do order of operation or the way you are doing it.

 

[Baron_Rouge]

They say BODMAS over here in Aus, or that's what I was taught anyway. Going by that, it's 288. Brackets first, (9+3)=12. So it becomes 48/2(12), or 48/2x12 to put it another way. Whether division comes first or you do division/multiplication at the same time, left to right, it works out the same. 48/2=24. 24*12=288.

Thats kind of funny, because I also live in Australia, and I just sat 2 top level math exams for year 12 (last year of high school, next will be university ie. college)

We learn it this way: BIMDAS

Brackets, Indicies, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

My CASIO calculator tells me 2

My brain who earns me marks of atleast 70% in math tests tells me 2

Im sure its just a way people learn it, but as far as I can tell, the answer is 2..

I also cringe to read other posts that say 288 :[

Hmmm...that is odd, given that I sat my top level year 12 maths exams as well, although in 2009...which state are you from? I'm in SA, maybe it's not standardised across the country.

 

[imperialreign]

42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything. But not mathematics.

As far as math goes, every number equals 47.

http://www.47.net/47society/

Well, see, that's how I figure 42 - as mathematics doesn't fall into the categories of "Life" nor "the universe," it does fit quite nicely into the umbrella of "Everything."

 

[Henkie36]

Brackets have priority, but then you just have to do in which ever order it stands. So:
9+3=12
48/2=24
24*12=288

 

[TheKwertyeweyoppe]

BODMAS
brackets of divide multiply add subtract.
that's maths for a ten year old
(answer's 2 obviously)

I'm kinda sick of the people who come into this thread thinking it's simple maths and boasting about dumb we are while completely missing the point of the thread because I can only assume they didn't bother to read it.

 

[Emphasis]

They say BODMAS over here in Aus, or that's what I was taught anyway. Going by that, it's 288. Brackets first, (9+3)=12. So it becomes 48/2(12), or 48/2x12 to put it another way. Whether division comes first or you do division/multiplication at the same time, left to right, it works out the same. 48/2=24. 24*12=288.

Thats kind of funny, because I also live in Australia, and I just sat 2 top level math exams for year 12 (last year of high school, next will be university ie. college)

We learn it this way: BIMDAS

Brackets, Indicies, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

My CASIO calculator tells me 2

My brain who earns me marks of atleast 70% in math tests tells me 2

Im sure its just a way people learn it, but as far as I can tell, the answer is 2..

I also cringe to read other posts that say 288 :[

Hmmm...that is odd, given that I sat my top level year 12 maths exams as well, although in 2009...which state are you from? I'm in SA, maybe it's not standardised across the country.

WA.. And to confirm this, we sit Math Specialist 3C/D and Math 3C/D exams.. However yours would have been different as this only came in a year ago, in 2010. Id say you would have done Calculus, G + T etc?

 

[InfiniteSingularity]

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

 

[intheweeds]

well if it were a statement in java, the brackets resolve first, leaving you with:
48/2(12)
now you have division and multiplication left to resolve. Since they are equal in priority, they resolve left to right. So:

24*12 = 288

I would assume programming languages use the same math as math, but i haven't been in high school for a very long time, i wouldn't remember exactly.

 

[Emphasis]

Half of this thread:

I am clever and am therefore correct and better than you.

Other half:

I am correct and better than you, here is the site that proves it:
www.Iamcorrectandbetterthanyou.com
Can you see how I am better than you now?

/thread

 

[JoshGod]

48 ÷ (9+3)2

It makes no difference to the way the equation works in the second form, but makes drastic changes to the way the equation works in the first one.

There is something you are missunderstanding which is that the 2 and the (9+3) are not glued together, they do not have brackets around them, the problem is due to peoples misinterpretation with the divide, however if we rewrite the equation to change it all into multiplication it becomes clearer.
48÷2(9+3)
=48÷2*(9+3)
as ÷2 = *0.5
48÷2*(9+3)
=48*0.5*(9+3)
=48*0.5*12
=48*6
=288

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

They say BODMAS over here in Aus, or that's what I was taught anyway. Going by that, it's 288. Brackets first, (9+3)=12. So it becomes 48/2(12), or 48/2x12 to put it another way. Whether division comes first or you do division/multiplication at the same time, left to right, it works out the same. 48/2=24. 24*12=288.

Thats kind of funny, because I also live in Australia, and I just sat 2 top level math exams for year 12 (last year of high school, next will be university ie. college)

We learn it this way: BIMDAS

Brackets, Indicies, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

My CASIO calculator tells me 2

My brain who earns me marks of atleast 70% in math tests tells me 2

Im sure its just a way people learn it, but as far as I can tell, the answer is 2..

I also cringe to read other posts that say 288 :[

So? The problem is we need another set of brackets and even though I am in another country than you have a high aggregate mark in your knowledge makes that person more right I was right with going with standard order

• terms inside parentheses or brackets
  exponents and roots
  multiplication and division As they appear left to right
  addition and subtraction As they appear left to right

The thing just needs more brackets so there can be no different interpretation.

 

[The Stonker]

is it 2 or 288?

It's 1337.
Problem?

 

[ACman]

The question is algebraically written.

A = 48 ÷ 2(9 + 3)

Let (9 + 3) = x = 12

A = 48 ÷ 2x
= 48 ÷ 24
= 2

Or

A = 48 ÷ 2(9 + 3)
=48 x 1/(2(9 + 3))
=48/24
=2

 

[strobe]

Using the division sign in a one-line expression like that is just ambiguous. (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)) are both valid interpretations. There may be a standard, but I'm not aware of any. Well, if there is a standard, Google and WolframAlpha would probably know:
http://www.google.co.za/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=48%2F2(9%2B3) says 288
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48%2F2(9%2B3) says 288

This is a really sensible and helpful reply. Thanks.

But I disagree with them. I too went straight to WolframAlpha but I was disappointed. The way I read the question I see 2(9+3) as one term giving me an answer of two. I guess I should concede to Google and Wolfram though.

This is ambiguous and therefore it's bad maths. I do Maths at university.

 

[Baron_Rouge]

They say BODMAS over here in Aus, or that's what I was taught anyway. Going by that, it's 288. Brackets first, (9+3)=12. So it becomes 48/2(12), or 48/2x12 to put it another way. Whether division comes first or you do division/multiplication at the same time, left to right, it works out the same. 48/2=24. 24*12=288.

Thats kind of funny, because I also live in Australia, and I just sat 2 top level math exams for year 12 (last year of high school, next will be university ie. college)

We learn it this way: BIMDAS

Brackets, Indicies, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

My CASIO calculator tells me 2

My brain who earns me marks of atleast 70% in math tests tells me 2

Im sure its just a way people learn it, but as far as I can tell, the answer is 2..

I also cringe to read other posts that say 288 :[

Hmmm...that is odd, given that I sat my top level year 12 maths exams as well, although in 2009...which state are you from? I'm in SA, maybe it's not standardised across the country.

WA.. And to confirm this, we sit Math Specialist 3C/D and Math 3C/D exams.. However yours would have been different as this only came in a year ago, in 2010. Id say you would have done Calculus, G + T etc?

Yeah, ours was just called Specialist Maths. There was Maths Apps and Maths Studies as well. We did Calculus, Stats, Matrices and stuff like that.

My high school was terrible though. it's entirely possible I'm wrong on this matter.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Both answers are fine more brackets are needed it doesn't get much simpler than that. You can do the brackets first then do order of operation or the way you are doing it.

Um, 48 / (9 + 3)^2 would be 48 / (12 * 12) but not 48 / 12 * 12 .

48 / (1+1)^2 would be 48 / (2 *(1 +1)) but not 48 / 2 * 2 . See? As in 48 / 2*(9+3) ?

x / y *z is not the same as x / (y*z).

I don't think I understand you. For 48 ÷ (9+3)^2 you would have

48 ÷ (9+3)(9+3)
= 48 ÷ (12)(12)
= 48 ÷ 144

but you couldn't have

(48 ÷ (9+3))^2
= 4^2
= 16

Which is what I was saying. And I very much understand that last little bit, but that's not what the question is, nor is it the problem. The problem is that people are overlooking the fact that there are 2 sets of (9+3) and are thinking that there is a half set of 48. The two is a part of the brackets and is nothing else, which is what I'm trying to tell people. Unlike other questions, this one is not ambiguous. The 2 is a part of the brackets.

 

[subfield]

It's 2 and I'm Asian. THIS THREAD IS OVER!

Oooh an Asian person. Please enlighten me then - why is Peano arithmetic sufficiently strong?

 

[lumenadducere]

Heh, 6 pages and still going strong. Well done, OP.

And yes, it's supposed to be dependent on how you interpret it. Vague mathematics is bad mathematics, but that was the intent of the thread. Don't know why people are still answering it.