48÷2(9+3) = ???? (phone number, advertise, sound)

[saintforlife]

The calculator that says "2" is not actually calculating the answer, he just hit the space button until he got to the second line and then typed in 2.

You can make a calculator show whatever you want on its screen.

For example:

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by saintforlife

all these brackets and rules just confuse things - just read it from left to right. Unless you are Arabic then the answer is 0.5

How long have you been out of school? The parentheses mean everything. And Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally has a requirement of left to right for M (multiplication) and D (division). The answer is 288.

[bigdumbgod]

Ahhh, the arguments without end that go on in SV.

[StaggerLee22]

307
I cheated though....I used my toes.

[KC6ZLV]

I was taught to get the variable out of the parenthesis first, or solve what is in the parenthesis then get them out of the parenthesis. You have to solve 2(9+3) first.



2(x) = 2x
2(9+3) = 24 This is similar to 2(x+y) = 2x+2y. In this case, 2(9+3)= 18+6 =24

That leaves 48÷24=2

48
2(12) = 24 or if you simplify it,

48
2(12) =

48
24 = 2

[MJ#1]

Originally Posted by saintforlife

I know there are a ton of nerds and smart people in the Bay Area.

So, is the answer 2 or 288 or something else?

Yes, I am serious.

My god. This is like 8th grade math IIRC. Did you drop out of school in the 7th grade or something?

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by KC6ZLV

I was taught to get the variable out of the parenthesis first.

There is no variable inside the parentheses. (A variable is x, y, n, etc.) You do solve what's inside the parentheses first, which are numbers in this example.

[Pruzhany]

2(9+3) = 24 This is similar to 2(x+y) = 2x+2y. In this case, 2(9+3)= 18+6 =24

That leaves 48÷24=2

This logic is false. If we go by this direction you get 48÷18+6 which would yield 8 2/3.

Using PEMDAS correctly yields 288.

If we go up a few grades then D (division) becomes Multiplicative Inverse.

[saintforlife]

Originally Posted by MJ#1

My god. This is like 8th grade math IIRC. Did you drop out of school in the 7th grade or something?

I didn't fail anything. Right now this simple algebraic problem has taken over the internet with every discussion forum on the planet discussing it and I thought why not pose the same question to my fellow San Joseites/San Joeseans(?):

48÷2(9+3) = ???? - Google Search

[Pruzhany]

The error is occurring because people are treating 2(9+3) as a separate equation instead of leaving it in 48÷2(9+3). Maybe looking at it as 48/2 x (9+3) might help in resolving it correctly.