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48÷2(9+3) = ??

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Mr.Gaga
Posts: 2021 - Karma: 542

lol a friend just asked me this and I was like wtf...

is it 2 or 288?!

Apr 10 2011 8:48PM
2 0
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andrewdingus
Posts: 8 - Karma: 9
how does this thread exist
Apr 11 2011 8:54AM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
math fight!
Apr 11 2011 9:22AM
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Gnams
Posts: 891 - Karma: 31
The answer is 2... why is this so difficult for some people
Apr 11 2011 9:26AM
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Mr.Luke
Posts: 2441 - Karma: 166
order of operations goes PEMDAS Parenthesis Exponents Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction Now I think you guys are right, it goes left to right, so I think in this case you would divide before you multiply.
Apr 11 2011 9:41AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
It's 2, if you think otherwise you are probably retarded.
Apr 11 2011 10:09AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
I may have just lost all respect for you Alex. Facepalm.
Apr 11 2011 10:10AM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747
but in actuality it's 288
Apr 11 2011 10:11AM
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Cheezcake.
Posts: 721 - Karma: 22
oh my god why is this four pages long.
Apr 11 2011 10:14AM
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Orrin
Posts: 1757 - Karma: 1,114
Some phyics forum: http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=488334
 
...48÷2*(9+3) = 48÷2*(12) = 48÷24 = 2

The reason why some people are getting 288 is that they're forgetting that there's an invisible multiply sign in the expression.

Honestly though, if I ever saw this I would apply a facepalm. It's not good notation and like you're seeing, it's ambiguous without proper use of parentheses and will confuse people. It's better notation to say

                                                48
                                            ---------
                                              (9+3)

BLAH MATHS.





Apr 11 2011 10:19AM
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TheGreenBastard
Posts: 215 - Karma: 135
this thread goes to show how fucked up it is that we consider america a super power
Apr 11 2011 10:20AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
i honestly have never heard of pemdas ....
so i looked it up, and how the f do you guys get 2 ?


ok, we can all agree that parentheses go first, and that 2(....) is actually 2 x (...)

so this gives us
48 / 2 x (9+3)
still ok?
48 / 2 x 12 (parentheses go first)

now we have a division and a multiplication,
pemda says:

P
Parentheses first
E
Exponents (ie Powers and Square Roots, etc.)
MD
Multiplication and Division (left-to-right)
AS
Addition and Subtraction (left-to-right)

Divide and Multiply rank equally (and go left to right).

Add and Subtract rank equally (and go left to right)


so if division and multiplication rank equally, we should just work from left to right....

=48/2 x12
=24 x12
=288


any of you PEMDAS freaks want to correct me ?
Apr 11 2011 10:30AM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747
buuut, I'd like to see someone shoot down this logic.

If you divide something by 2, it's the same as multiplying by (1/2). dividing can be changed to multiplication by taking the inverse of the number. eg. 5÷4 is the same as 5(1/4)

now, the equation 48÷2(12) can be rewritten with brackets around each individual part without changing anything about it:

(48)(÷2)(12)

now, keeping it like that shows the same problem. is it 48÷2 first? or 2*12 first?

so, just substitute in the inverse of (÷2) so everything is a multiplication. so sub in (1/2)


now you get (48)(1/2)(12)


this is 288.


there is no other way about this. someone try to prove this wrong

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Apr 11 2011 10:33AM
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JibtasticAvenger
Posts: 214 - Karma: 16
fail
Apr 11 2011 10:33AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
After reading this thread I have come to a conclusion.

People saying 288: High school kids

People saying 2: College kids or older kids who do real math and do it in the order that is correct.

No shit the problem comes out to both 2 an 288 depending how you calculate it. No shit the calculator comes out to 288, but if you have taken enough math classes you know that the calculator is not a reliable tool in cases like this.
Apr 11 2011 10:35AM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747
I am a university student, and I say 288. I did say 2 at first, but then proved myself wrong. read a couple posts up. prove it wrong. I dare you
Apr 11 2011 10:40AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
yep, this is the hidden logic in the order of operations, that's why multiplications and divisions rank equally, because a division is basically a special form of multiplication
ie.

3 / 2 = 3 x (1/2)

same goes for addition and substraction which also rank equally
ie.

4 - 18 =4 + (-18)



Apr 11 2011 10:40AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
This thread is a pretty telling.

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/02/132591244/our-brains-are-shrinking-are-we-getting-dumber

An Iphone has more computational power than all of NASA during the Apollo missions. They sent men to the moon, we shoot birds at pigs....
Apr 11 2011 10:40AM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747

Apr 11 2011 10:41AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
It's 288.

Please let me know what "math class" give you the additional insight to surpass the order of operations.
Apr 11 2011 10:44AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
You're from Canada.

Just proved you wrong :)
Apr 11 2011 10:45AM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747
another way of proving it to be 288 which cannot be proven wrong.


48÷2(3+9)

once again, divide everything into it's own set of brackets


(48)(÷2)(3+9)

now, you may choose to expand the 2 into the brackets.

48[(÷2)(3)+(÷2)(9)]

which becomes

48(3/2+9/2)

288!!
Apr 11 2011 10:48AM
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hurrisun
Posts: 6284 - Karma: 49
fuck all of you nobody would write a math problem like that its both anwsers


Apr 11 2011 11:00AM
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Furrer92
Posts: 784 - Karma: 341
This is why ÷ isn't used in higher order mathematics, because its fucking retarded.
Apr 11 2011 11:05AM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747
Click for larger image
Apr 11 2011 11:35AM
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pimpcat
Posts: 858 - Karma: 321
you don't need to divide 48 by 2 in order to distribute it. Get an 800 on your math SAT then come talk to me.
Apr 11 2011 11:58AM
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General_Ripper
Posts: 3327 - Karma: 189
yes this picture proves that this entire thread is fucking stupid.
Apr 11 2011 12:01PM
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RunRich
Posts: 207 - Karma: 11
actually its its 288.................wow
Apr 11 2011 1:05PM
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RunRich
Posts: 207 - Karma: 11

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48%C3%B72%289%2B3%29

this shows it written a different way..but it is the same problem.

Apr 11 2011 1:08PM
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Rossberger
Posts: 768 - Karma: 168
successful trolls are successful.
Apr 11 2011 1:22PM
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qbehr
Posts: 1044 - Karma: 686
iam a math major and this is the most correct explanation an meathod of doing it good job man
Apr 11 2011 1:34PM
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Yinzer
Posts: 1011 - Karma: 73
I am a junior in mechanical engineering at Penn state. I am better at math than you. It's 288 as written. Want It to be2? Must add parentheses like so 48/(2(9+3)). Calculators are not unreliable in this matter, what is unreliable is the input method by the user and their knowledge of order of operations. Thanks for playing
Apr 11 2011 1:37PM
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dylansiggers
Posts: 1667 - Karma: 6,089
Holy shit NS is fucking stupid!
Apr 11 2011 1:55PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
at what age do they teach order of operations in the US ?
Apr 11 2011 2:34PM
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,364
how is this thread so long? its 288, not debatable. anyone who says otherwise doesn't remember 6th grade math. left to right motherfuckers, its not a hard concept to grasp, its sorta how we read.

lol at vinnieF trying to prove shit, its a simple equation, no need for proof because there is only one correct way to solve it
Apr 11 2011 2:42PM
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VT_FLO
Posts: 3806 - Karma: 147
It's actually 72 you fucking retard
Apr 11 2011 2:43PM
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VT_FLO
Posts: 3806 - Karma: 147
oops jk not a retard. My computer is dipshit making division signs look like addition signs
Apr 11 2011 2:45PM
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theline
Posts: 1507 - Karma: 92
.
Apr 11 2011 2:49PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
for the kids who still question what it is; it's 288, no debate ....
Apr 11 2011 2:53PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
but but that other guy is a math major?!?!?!?!
Apr 11 2011 2:56PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
and i am God :)
Apr 11 2011 2:59PM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,747
math is all about proofs. actually, it's entirely proofs. you can't have a math equation and have an answer without proving it.

you've obviously never taken anything above high school math.
Apr 11 2011 3:03PM
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Abc567def
Posts: 8756 - Karma: 801
Yea on my computer the  / actually looks like a +. So had to zoom in to finally realize that it was a divide.

But I think it is written incorrectly so its stupid


Apr 11 2011 3:13PM
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WorthDaMoney
Posts: 1140 - Karma: 741
lol at people getting all hyped up about this and saying "the answer is obviously ___ retards".
no, its not obvious. and honestly, who gives a fuck cause it was clearly written poorly.


but forreal, the answer is 288.. dumb fucks
Apr 11 2011 3:16PM
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qbehr
Posts: 1044 - Karma: 686
multiplication comes before division peMDas, 2x12 is 24. 48/24=2
Apr 11 2011 3:39PM
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EL_TIGRE
Posts: 2984 - Karma: 48
nope.. multiplication and division are on the same step, you just work left to right.
Apr 11 2011 3:40PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Hahaha you just failed so hard.


When division and multiplication are in the same problem, YOU WORK LEFT TO RIGHT.
Apr 11 2011 3:45PM
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Juice.Doctor
Posts: 2791 - Karma: 293
its 288.
Apr 11 2011 3:48PM
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585.
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 77
hahahaha i just laughed so hard
Apr 11 2011 3:55PM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
this thread is so fucking dumb its incredible
Apr 11 2011 3:58PM
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Yinzer
Posts: 1011 - Karma: 73
I love this thread. thank you for blessing us with the psycho babble BS. +k
Apr 11 2011 3:58PM
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