View Poll Results: 48÷2(9+3) = ????
2
30
54.55%
288
25
45.45%
Voters: 55. You may not vote on this poll
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 805
Likes: 1
From: NJ
thats exactly how it is written. multiplication and division is done at the same time from left to right. its math its not philosophy, theres only one right answer. 48 divided by 2 is 24 times 12 is 288. i can pull out my ti-84 if need be.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 805
Likes: 1
From: NJ
I was an engineering major for 2 1/2 years before i switched to computer networking and i was pretty decent at math. Calc II, physics, and statics and dynamics, were never a problem soooo i think i can do algebra. plus my handy dandy calculator affirms what i said before.
Welcome Crew and May 2012 Ride of the Month
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,563
Likes: 2
From: Kitchener, Ontario
I was an engineering major for 2 1/2 years before i switched to computer networking and i was pretty decent at math. Calc II, physics, and statics and dynamics, were never a problem soooo i think i can do algebra. plus my handy dandy calculator affirms what i said before.
How can you do division on half of the bottom of the equation?
the best way is to throw an x in the equation and work backwards.
48 ÷ x(9 + 3) = 288
48 ÷ 9x + 3x = 288
48/12x = 288
4/x = 288
4 = 288x
4/288 = x
1/72 = x
48 ÷ x(9 + 3) = 2
48 ÷ 9x + 3x = 2
48/12x = 2
4/x = 2
4 = 2x
4/2 = x
2 = x
you have to re-write the equation or else all programs will read it wrong
48
_____
2(9+3)
Take any number and make it an x and you will see the answer is 2.
This is more of a debate then "What octane to use" lol
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,395
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Damn i must be getting old, I was an A student in math/algebra in high school. I could have swore "( )" trumped multiplication and division......hence the "( )". Maybe im just getting to old. Damn I need to take some college classes
Super Moderator and Official Welcome Crew Yeti
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,066
Likes: 6
From: Souf Cackilack
gotta say, this question returns some amusing results on teh interwebs.
YouTube - Math Babies
the equation obviously presents some clarity issues. between my 2 calculators, one produces 2, and one declares a syntax error. i still solve the original equation for the very reason quoted above -- oddly enough, if the problem even used the "/" symbol instead of the "÷" symbol, i might view it differently.
YouTube - Math Babies
Note that different software will process this differently; even different models of Texas Instruments graphing calculators will process this differently. In cases of ambiguity, be very careful of your parentheses, and make your meaning clear. The general consensus among math people is that "multiplication by juxtaposition" (that is, multiplying by just putting things next to each other, rather than using the "×" sign) indicates that the juxtaposed values must be multiplied together before processing other operations. But not all software is programmed this way, and sometimes teachers view things differently. If in doubt, ask!
the equation obviously presents some clarity issues. between my 2 calculators, one produces 2, and one declares a syntax error. i still solve the original equation for the very reason quoted above -- oddly enough, if the problem even used the "/" symbol instead of the "÷" symbol, i might view it differently.
Torture the numbers sufficiently, and they will confess to anything.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,395
Likes: 0
gotta say, this question returns some amusing results on teh interwebs.
he equation obviously presents some clarity issues. between my 2 calculators, one produces 2, and one declares a syntax error. i still solve the original equation for the very reason quoted above -- oddly enough, if the problem even used the "/" symbol instead of the "÷" symbol, i might view it differently.
he equation obviously presents some clarity issues. between my 2 calculators, one produces 2, and one declares a syntax error. i still solve the original equation for the very reason quoted above -- oddly enough, if the problem even used the "/" symbol instead of the "÷" symbol, i might view it differently.
So who is right? seems like there is no right answer here. But i understand the placement of symbols and numbers and how they can change the "order of operation".
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 123
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From: Connecticut
Regener8ed is right, its simply unclear as to what is being asked.
48.000 Ignore the zeros, they are just there to make the line fit.
(2(9+3))
or
(48/2) * (9+3)
Left to right has never and will never work in math. Thats why there is order of operations.
edited: made mistakes
48.000 Ignore the zeros, they are just there to make the line fit.
(2(9+3))
or
(48/2) * (9+3)
Left to right has never and will never work in math. Thats why there is order of operations.
edited: made mistakes
Last edited by Ragnar1x; Apr 8, 2011 at 09:08 AM.