I saw this thread on another forum that I frequent and there was a 10 page argument on the answer. About half of the people chose 2 and the other half chose 288 (and the occasional user got 4). I'm assuming that the Tip.It Off-Topic community is a lot smarter than they, so let's see how this goes, shall we?

 

48÷2(9+3)

 

Show you work step-by-step (don't throw the whole thing into a search engine or calculator) and don't forget P E M/D A/S.

 

*Let's not turn this into a flame war by saying "[My answer]. This is basic math" or "My answer [/thread]"

 

[spoiler=The Answer (according to my math professor)]"The answer is 288, unless there is a second set of parenthese around the 2 and the (9+3). The reason is because multiply and divide are considered on the same level mathematically, so the equation containing only those two operations is computed from left to right. The graphing calculator uses this principle."

 

To put his credentials into perspective, he has two PhDs: One in mathematics and one in physics. In addition, he has been teaching advanced mathematics and science (as well as computer science more recently) for exactly 40 years.

 

Alright.

[hide=Work]9+3 is 12

48/2(12)

48/2 is 24.

24x12 is 288[/hide]

 

Lulz at the last option in the poll.

PEMDAS

Please excuse my dear aunt Sally.

48÷2(9+3)

=48/2(12)

=24(12)

=288

nvm i'm stupid, it's 288.

Multiplication/Division are interchangeable, where only Left--->Right dictates what should be done first. I'm not saying you're right/wrong, but just throwing that out there.

[hide][/hide]

I say its 288 and so does Wolfram Alpha : http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48%2F2%289%2B3%29

I got 288.

 

Edit: Should post work too.

 

48/2 = 24

(9+3) = 12

 

24x12 = 288

It's been four years since I've done a math problem and I got 2. And I'm [bleep]ing proud of it.

How do you get anything other then 288 is the real question?

Using the bodmas order of operations (division and multiplication being interchangeable, and using the left to right rule otherwise), I got 288.

BIDMAS says 288. The problem is when people multiply the 12 before dividing the 48.

After reading all the other answers I realized my dumb mistake >.<

 

[spoiler=What I did]

48/2(3+9)

48/2(12)

48/24

2

 

 

I realize now it was a mistake, and a dumb one at that.

I'll throw another hint. Set the 2 in the equation equal to x like so:

48÷x(9+3)

 

Set ^ that equal to your answer.

I'll throw another hint. Set the 2 in the equation equal to x like so:

48÷x(9+3)

 

Set ^ that equal to your answer.

 

That can't be resolved. Those operators do not go together, and anything will give you a syntax error. Unless that's an X as a variable.

 

It's 288 by the way.

 

Well, if you set X to 2, then by PEMDAS or whatever:

 

48 / x(9+3)

= 48/x(12)

 

From here, working from left to right...

 

48/X *12 = (576 / X)

 

Now substitute X for whatever to get your answer. Setting it to 2 would get 288. Take it from a computer science major/math minor.

Can't be solved? Divisibility property of multiplication.

 

Also, lol@my calculators.

TI-84 Graphing Calculator says: 288

Casio fx-115ES Scientific Calculator says: 2

Can't be solved? Divisibility property of multiplication.

I was assuming that x was the multiplication operator. It was an error on my part.

This was on /b/ earlier, and the answer is 288. If you do the distributive property first, you are doing the order wrong.

 

48÷2(9+3)

48/2*12

24*12

=288

 

Now if the question was

 

48÷(2(9+3))

48/(2*12)

48/24

=2

 

Then the answer would be 2.

The left to right thing isn't true, so you need more brackets.

 

My girlfriend does a math degree and she says that there isn't enough information in that question to answer it properly - brackets to prioritize the division or multiplication.

 

You wouldn't come across something like this in a real math problem afaik because it would have a definite answer with brackets.

Posted the answer in the spoiler tags.

You needed a professor with a PhD in math to tell you this?

 

This is like 7th grade stuff.

288 was my original answer. I second guessed myself after reading the thread that I mentioned in my first post.

 

Also, just searched for the thread title and about 20 identical threads came up.

Also, just searched for the thread title and about 20 identical threads came up.

 

I just did the same thing. It's amazing how many people on the internet don't know how to do basic math and then try to justify that the right answer is 2. With how it's written, it can only be 288, no ifs', and's, or but's about it.