I can't believe that you find it hard to believe that a poorly written problem yields inconclusive results. Expressions in real math are written clearly:

http://www.jimmy3way.com/math.gif

don't get confused

i hold a mathematics degree

this is a fine troll thread

don't come in here with your logic and fuck it up..lol


however, the answer is 2.

I also studied mathematics at a university level and the answer is actually 288.

Unless you decide you want to change BEDMAS around and go right to left or unless you want to argue that 2(9+3) isn't equal to 2(12) in which case the bracket can be dropped and made into 2*12.

48/2*12 = 288

Don't know why you would do 2(9+3) first.

Sorry, the equation as it is written is ambigous, PERIOD. This is EXACTLY why Google is changing it. Try typing the formula in to excel, it will flat out tell you there's an error with it.

So as it is written, it can be solved as either 288 or 2.

you are right
2(9+3) does not equal 2(12) it equals 24

and in this case that matters :)

the same way z(9+3) is 12z. and not z X 12

If you do than you can tell me what kind of textbook my pic is of.

Hahahahhahahahah.

http://www.fugly.com/media/IMAGES/Ra...g-is-a-art.jpg

hmm...its been over a decade

but it looks like some sort of differential geometry

possibly you are wanting to calculate a vector to land on a planet..lol
it could also just be a physics textbook

its hard to say from a pic you found online somewhere :)

Nice guess, but I pulled the text off the bookshelf next to my desk and snapped it, which is why it resides on jimmy3way.com

For what Americans pay for textbooks, we can never throw them away.

same here, i kept all my books.
i even kept all my 1st and 2nd year lab books.
so when my little guy gets to science experiment level, we will be doing 1st year university experiments for his grade 8 science competition..lol

That's clearly cheating.

In 2(9+3) there is NO polynomial so the distributive property doesn't apply and we can just solve for this anyway and we end up with 2(12).

IF you actually tried to distribute the 2 into the parenthesis, you'd be violating the order of operations right from the get go! Why? Because distribution is actually multiplication and you can't do multiplication before you deal with the parenthesis!

So how can you possibly claim that 2(9+3) Is NOT = 2(12)??

Do you actually know what trolling is?

Forget the math experts! I think we have found some great debate team members;)

yeah yeah I know.

While left to right has its own group, implied multiplication is a standard for going first... So this is actually:

48/(2*(9+3)) = 2.

I got 288 from the start using bedmas which I learned in grade whatever.

So, my feeling is if I got that question on a test in grade 7, they would be looking for the answer 288 and not 2.

The problem is that it is not an agreed upon standard that implied multiplication outranks explicit. Well rather, that is ONE standard. Others consider multiplication to be multiplication regardless of how it's expressed and should be handled in order left to right.

The only REAL standard is that when there is doubt, use parenthesis. So yes, 48/(2*(9+3)) = 2 and if 2 is the answer you're looking for this is the proper way to write the equation on one line.

I'm going to bring it to my accountant on monday and see what he says.

48÷2(9+3) = 48/2*12 = 48/24 = 2 :thumbsup

That is the way my head gunk spat it out in the first place too.

The people who answered I like robot chicken are the only people correct in this thread.

http://sites.google.com/site/glowing...it_playing.jpg

if you are a retard and failed math.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Go 1 step further. 2*12 = 24.

48/24 = 2

You don't reduce a term to an expression with a free variable (function *) in them.

You reduce them as far as possible.

Why would you do 2 * 12 before 48/2 ? What is the variable here?

FOIL is for polynomials this is not a polynomial math problem. the answer is 2 tho.

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

Its a linear equation just use rules of math, Parenthesis first, multiplication 2nd, division 3rd.

Wall Street math.

http://wtfhub.com/wp-content/uploads...ian-father.jpg

ADG

Multiplication and division don't take precedence over one another.

In a case where they are both present you just go from left to right.

Don't know why someone would go right to left or otherwise.

48÷2(9+3) = 288
same as
48/2 * 12 = 288
or
48 * 12/2 = 288
or
48/2 * 9 + 48/2 * 3 = 288

It will always equal 288 Denominator (in this case is 2). If it was actually 2*(9+3) the entire denominator must be wrapped so.... (2*(9+3)).

I know it's late to chime in but the answer as the formula is written is 288.

Its been a while but the 2(9+3) is done before dividing into 48. It is considered a "package" or 2 times what's in the parenthesis.

Correct answer is indeed 2.

Cant believe this went 4 pages.

And yes I have taken Calculus so I know Algebra like it was beaten into me. :)

Correct.

And the guy who said Division is always last in an equation (and pointed out the order) is also correct.

Btw, I took one course of Calc as req by my major at Univ level. After that one course I realized there are some seriously smart people in this world. We are talking huge equations and math based on math based on more math.

It gets insane. But it humbles you to realize their are some seriously smart mo-fos. Mostly going back to the earlier centuries where all they did was smoke hash or opium and do math. Prob hash.

False. The equation is not ambiguous as implied multiplication takes precedent over explicit functions. Period.

Excel's limitations in formulas is due to the way that program is coded and requires formulas to be written. It has nothing to do with the way the equation is written. An attempt to formulate a explanation of ambiguity due to excel's limitations is flawed

It is an agreed upon standard that implied multiplication outranks explicit. THAT is the very nature of the use of implied multiplication - to eliminate the need for the double parentheses.

Actually, it's not an agreed upon standard. Implied multiplication having a higher priority than explicit is not a standard. Here's at least three Universites that don't teach it:

http://www.math.unt.edu/mathlab/emat...tical_oper.htm
http://ellerbruch.nmu.edu/classes/CS...mack/helen.htm
http://www.r.umn.edu/academics/advis...ions/index.htm

You'll notice that in case they say Multiplciation and Division should be handled left to right with no priority given to implied multiplication.

So, it depends on how you're solving with which set of rules. That's why equations are never written ambigously like this and if you want to get the answer of 2, and only the answer of 2 you need to write it on two lines or with an extra set of parenthesis. As it's written 288 is a valid answer.

If this was middle school math you would be soooo very correct. You would do the parenthesis first then just do it left to right. This is algebra tho. The equation is not written incorrectly at all, google may have changed it to fit people who just fail at math. Here is a simple math lesson:

When it looks like 48/2 * (9+3) this would equal 288, this means do the addition first then left to right and you get 288.

When there is no * between the parenthesis (which you will never find outside middle school math) and it looks like:

48/2(9+3) this equals 48/(2*(9+8)) This is implied in all level 1 collage algebra books, I know my husband is a CIS student and deals with a crap load of math. It would look like this being solved:

48/2(9+3) = 48/2(12) in which the parenthesis are still in play and means the multiplication must be done before the division. In a basic text book to teach this it could possibly be written as such:

2(9+3) In which this would mean you do the multiplication first then divide.
______
48

You can also find this info on www.purplemath.com it wont be exact as I didnt copy/paste anything but you will find the same type of explanation.

All I know is I dropped out of HS and I figured out 288 in about 3 seconds. Pay me.

You would be correct only if the multiplication used an Astrix rather then parenthesis. The use of parenthesis is very well excepted as being implied as you do it first. This is why only a small select few collages don't teach this, and sadly I would not recommend anyone go to them. The rest of the world teaches math in a way that this would equal 2.

ya b/c you dropped out of HS and you are wrong LOL

I concur with this.

I don't think you guys understand that 2(9+3) is the exact same thing as 2 * (9+3)

There is no rule that says you would do implied first. Since there is no concrete rule then you just do it from left to right. So written like it is, the answer is 288.

http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/54341.html

A math phd spelling it out for you guys.

The way it is written you do things in the order they appear.


Therefore answer is 288.

With all due respect, you would NEVER see an equation written like this outside of middle school math. For one thing, when's the last time you saw the % sign outside of highschool?

Unh-unh! See the PHD in Math's analysis above.

288.

I r jenius. :D :helpme

Well I am 27 years old, and I was tought in pre-algebra that when parenthesis is used as both a determining factor and a multiplication line you leave your answer in the parentheses and still apply determining factors which say parenthesis first everything else after. My husband agrees and he is working on his BA in Computer Information Systems and he uses these rules when he does his math. So I am going to believe him since it is getting him an A in math and other classes that use math.

Well, since I'd rather have sex with you than with the Math PHD above I'm willing to change my answer to "2". But I want extra credit, and I want to be punished, and I want your hubby to watch his motherboard while we do it.

He can tape it to monetize tho, I'll sign a release... :D