Poll: What is the answer to 48/2(9+3)?

ProfessorLayton

Elite Member
Nov 6, 2008
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I don't know why you want us to do your homework for you, but I got 288... after you do the parentheses, you're supposed to do them from left to right. I think it's a poorly written problem, though.
 

Brawndo

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Jun 29, 2010
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ProfessorLayton said:
I don't know why you want us to do your homework for you, but I got 288... after you do the parentheses, you're supposed to do them from left to right. I think it's a poorly written problem, though.
lol it's not a homework problem man, I'm not in middle school. This question is blowing up other forums and reddit.

48/2(12) = 2 using PEMDAS
 

mindlesspuppet

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Jun 16, 2004
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2... still remember from grade school, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally; Parentheses, Exponent, Multiply, Divide, Addition, Subtract. So... 9+3=12, 12*2=24, 48/24=2.
 

Lilani

Sometimes known as CaitieLou
May 27, 2009
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Brawndo said:
ProfessorLayton said:
I don't know why you want us to do your homework for you, but I got 288... after you do the parentheses, you're supposed to do them from left to right. I think it's a poorly written problem, though.
lol it's not a homework problem man, I'm not in middle school. This question is blowing up other forums and reddit.

48/2(12) = 2
Yeah, that's how I did it. But the way it's written, it doesn't specify if the only the 2 is being multiplied by 12 or if the entire fraction is. If the first, then it's 2. If the second, then it's 288.

So, as Professor Layton wisely pointed out, the problem is poorly written.
 

Drago-Morph

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Mar 28, 2010
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According to my 8th grade education, the problem is 288. Add the 9 and 3, divide the 48 and 2, multiply the 24 and 12. Of course, there could be some fancy college learnin' that I have yet to get through, rendering this a trick question.
 

Joehova

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Jul 4, 2010
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its 288
just use BEDMAS(brackets,exponents,division,multiplication,addition,subtraction) left to right
you divide and multiply at the same time so you go left to right
 

GodofCider

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Nov 16, 2010
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Strictly following the rules will lead you to an answer of 288.

The rules being: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addiction, Subtraction. Solve your problem left to right.

Although, technically the steps of multiplication and division, addiction and subtraction, are interchangeable. Multiplication does not 'need' to be done prior to division in a problem(assuming there are no unique situations). Therefore it is possible to end up with the answer being 2 as well.

As such, I'd say it's a bit of a toss up between the two. Though as I stated in the first place: I think that the answer of 288 is more correct, than the answer of 2.
 

mew4ever23

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Mar 21, 2008
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How is this problem blowing up other forums? It's simple order of operations or BEDMAS, as the mnemonic I was taught goes:

1. Brackets
2. Exponents
3. Division and Multiplication (Left to right, neither has priority)
4. Addition and Subraction (Left to right, neither has priority)

The answer, in steps:

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

(* = Multiplication)
 

Urgh76

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May 27, 2009
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That's actually quite a conundrum.... I'm showing this to my proffesor tomorrow, although I'm pretty sure you're supposed to simplify in the denominator and numerator before dividing, so I end up with 2
 

Aenir

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Mar 26, 2009
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It seems clear to me...like others have said, multiplication/division and addition/subtraction go left to right, so you add the 9 and 3 since they're in parenthesis, then simply go left to right; 48/2(12)=24(12)=288
 

HueMann

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Dec 9, 2010
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Joehova said:
its 288
just use BEDMAS(brackets,exponents,division,multiplication,addition,subtraction) left to right
you divide and multiply at the same time so you go left to right
You are totally correct. It's 288. 'Divide' and 'Multiply' are treated by the same weight in the BEDMAS formula (as are 'addition' and 'subtraction'). When you have operators that have equal weight, always start from the left.

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

And if you don't trust me (I'm in university with a math minor), trust Wolfram Alpha =D 48/2(9+3) [http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48%2F2%289%2B3%29]
 

Zebag

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May 23, 2010
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On the left to right basis it's hard to tell for certain as it could be 48 / (2(12)) or (48/2)*12. It makes more sense to write it out using the ____.

48
----
2*12

or

48
--- *12
2

But generally after the brackets you do go left to right. You don't have to do multiplication before division, just as long as both are done before addition and subtraction.
 

Theron Julius

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Nov 30, 2009
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It's nothing more than simple PEMDAS

48/2*(9+3)

You do what's in the parentheses first

48/2*12

Then you do whatever multiplication or division comes first. In this case it was 48/2

24*12

Then you do any multiplication that's left. In this case 24*12

288

Which leaves us with 288. Behold the power of PEMDAS!
 

Kiroy

New member
Mar 5, 2010
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mew4ever23 said:
How is this problem blowing up other forums? It's simple order of operations or BEDMAS, as the mnemonic I was taught goes:

1. Brackets
2. Exponents
3. Division and Multiplication (Left to right, neither has priority)
4. Addition and Subraction (Left to right, neither has priority)

The answer, in steps:

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

(* = Multiplication)
Division is just multiplying by a reciprocal. It's the same thing, neither takes priority so it is in fact 288. I'm surprised by how many people think it's 2.