The million dollar question

Jim .E. · 04-08-2011, 04:58 PM

48÷2(9+3) = ?

What's your answer? This has literally sparked war on so many forums.

2slow2race · 04-08-2011, 05:04 PM

my answer is 288.
using bedmas and order of operation.
oh well. whats the answer?

Jim .E. · 04-08-2011, 05:35 PM

I chose 2. I don't know what the right answer is.

500/1000 people get it wrong apparantly.

Here's my logic:

a/b(c+d)
a/(bc+cd)

now imagine:

A = 48
B = 2
C = 9
D = 3

substitute:

A/(BC+BD)
48/(2*9+2*3)
48/(18+6)
48/24
2

edit: oops didnt mean to put caps. fixed.

**SickFinga** · 04-08-2011, 05:41 PM

48÷2(9+3)
is
48÷2*(9+3)
is
48÷2*12

radi0activem · 04-08-2011, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SickFinga

48÷2(9+3)
is
48÷2*(9+3)
is
48÷2*12

288

SiR · 04-08-2011, 06:24 PM

ugh...not here now. lol this has been making huge rounds on the internet. i already posted it on my fb....

basically there is an explanation for both that is logical.

However since this is a poorly written, basic question meant to help kids with bedmas...you cant assume extra brackets would be there or any other higher up math that most of us as accustomed to.

so the answer is 288.

e36_freak · 04-09-2011, 12:58 AM

I calculated this and got 288
i googled the equation and google's calculator comes up with this
(48 ÷ 2) * (9 + 3) = 288

I also tried it on WolframAlpha.com (Wolfram|Alpha is more than a search engine. It gives you access to the world's facts and data and calculates answers across a range of topics) and got to the same result
Input:

48\2(9+3)
Result:
288

EDIT*
for those getting 2. why do you multiply before dividing? i always thought you solve the numbers in bracket first and once that is done you either multiply or divide, whichever comes first. Multiply doesn't take precedence over divide...

El Gato Liso · 04-09-2011, 03:00 AM

the answer is 2.....

BEDMAS should be EBEDMAS. (Expand)

the 2 belongs to (9+3), so it should be seen as 48/ [2(9+3)] since there is no sign between the 2 and the first bracket. [everyone should know that if there is NO operational designation, multiplication is to be presumed], FOIL stands for FIRST OUT IN LAST. so given that...

FOIL'ing (a+b)(c+d)= ac+bd. (first*out)+(in+last)

apply that to 2(9+3) = [(2*9)+(2*3)]=18+6=24. Following EBEDMAS, doing the first E automatically executes the B portion. D is next...48/24=2.

BEDMAS would be more suitable to equations such as (6+5) - (2^2) + (5*6).

GAME. SET.....AND MATCH.

SiR · 04-09-2011, 03:10 AM

no.
this has been argued to death the last 48 hrs...all over the internet.

its a simple bedmas question for 3rd graders or whoever. they dont know what foil is. they dont assume brackets or anything else.

yes logically an argument can be made for 2...but in the basic sense of the question the answer is 288.

basically it boils down to if the 2 "belongs" to the added up brackets of (9+3) or not after you have done the addition...
since there are no extra brackets for the kids after 48 div by.... you solve in the brackets and then work left to right. thats it. theres nothing hidden though later math would tell you otherwise.

288.

sirex · 04-09-2011, 01:12 PM

lol

48
---(12)
2

maybe a better way of looking at it is like that.

ZiMMie · 04-09-2011, 01:17 PM

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

davericher20 · 04-09-2011, 01:33 PM

it's 288.

fact

ericdalinda · 04-09-2011, 04:08 PM

288... questions like these are on contests like Mcdonalds Monopoly for Grand prizes.

If i ever peeled off Park Place And Boardwalk on my mcdonalds meal, went to head office to fill out the form they asked me that question above....

With confidence id say 288. if they replied "well sir you didnt...blah blah blah blah correct answer is 2.

Id punch them

Nick_V · 04-09-2011, 08:04 PM

It's been a long time since I was in a math class but I would have answered 2. To me it seems like 48/2(9+3) means 48/2x. Since there is no multiplication sign between 2 and (9+3), brackets are implied around it, aren't they? that would make it read like:

48
------- = 2
2(9+3)

but most people seem to be interpreting it as

48
--- x (9+3) = 288
2

so it all hinges on the technicality of which order of operations takes precedence when the x sign is not explicitly written.

**SickFinga** · 04-09-2011, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Gato Liso

the 2 belongs to (9+3), so it should be seen as 48/ [2(9+3)] since there is no sign between the 2 and the first bracket. [everyone should know that if there is NO operational designation, multiplication is to be presumed], FOIL stands for FIRST OUT IN LAST. so given that...

2 would belong to (9+3) if it were written as 48/[2(9+3)], but it's not. So the answer is 288.