Hamtaro Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. Player since 2004. All skills 1M+ XP."If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation..., then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." - Sophocles"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawks Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Alright. [hide=Work]9+3 is 1248/2(12)48/2 is 24. 24x12 is 288[/hide] Lulz at the last option in the poll. sig by Soa.....tip.it times.....art & mediadeviantart/flickr/last.fm/steam/twitter/tumblr/youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champion Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 PEMDAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2PM Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Please excuse my dear aunt Sally. "Let your anger be as a monkey in a piñata... hiding amongst the candy... hoping the kids don't break through with the stick." - Master Tang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 48÷2(9+3)=48/2(12)=24(12)=288 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champion Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 nvm i'm stupid, it's 288. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamtaro Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. Player since 2004. All skills 1M+ XP."If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation..., then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." - Sophocles"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Runar Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 [hide][/hide] The Runar's (OSRS) DIY blog - most viewed Blogscape blog ever! Contract? /人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheat Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I say its 288 and so does Wolfram Alpha : http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48%2F2%289%2B3%29 Pedicabo ego vos et irrumaboMinigames: Level 5 in All Barbarian Assault Roles PM me in game or on these forums to play. Over 500 Castle Wars Games with 460+ Tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzle229 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I got 288. Edit: Should post work too. 48/2 = 24(9+3) = 12 24x12 = 288 Get back here so I can rub your butt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Range_This11 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 It's been four years since I've done a math problem and I got 2. And I'm [bleep]ing proud of it. "He could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevepole Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 How do you get anything other then 288 is the real question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobgoblinpie Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Using the bodmas order of operations (division and multiplication being interchangeable, and using the left to right rule otherwise), I got 288. POH Agility Course, Please Support! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger_Warrior Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 BIDMAS says 288. The problem is when people multiply the 12 before dividing the 48. | Favourite Game Music | Last.fm | HYT Friend Chat Rules | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distracted Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 After reading all the other answers I realized my dumb mistake >.< [spoiler=What I did]48/2(3+9)48/2(12)48/242 I realize now it was a mistake, and a dumb one at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamtaro Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. Player since 2004. All skills 1M+ XP."If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation..., then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." - Sophocles"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. I was going to eat hot dogs for dinner tonight. I think I will settle for cereal. OPEN WIDE HERE COMES THE HELICOPTER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamtaro Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 Can't be solved? Divisibility property of multiplication. Also, lol@my calculators.TI-84 Graphing Calculator says: 288Casio fx-115ES Scientific Calculator says: 2 Player since 2004. All skills 1M+ XP."If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation..., then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." - Sophocles"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Can't be solved? Divisibility property of multiplication.I was assuming that x was the multiplication operator. It was an error on my part. I was going to eat hot dogs for dinner tonight. I think I will settle for cereal. OPEN WIDE HERE COMES THE HELICOPTER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasignhagj Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 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*1224*12=288 Now if the question was 48÷(2(9+3))48/(2*12)48/24=2 Then the answer would be 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamdan Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamtaro Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 Posted the answer in the spoiler tags. Player since 2004. All skills 1M+ XP."If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation..., then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." - Sophocles"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giordano Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 You needed a professor with a PhD in math to tell you this? This is like 7th grade stuff. "The cry of the poor is not always just, but if you never hear it you'll never know what justice is." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamtaro Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. Player since 2004. All skills 1M+ XP."If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation..., then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." - Sophocles"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbpackers31 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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