the math apocalypse: 48÷2(9+3) = ?

[Freek]

How about this:

Q=7
7=3+4
30+40=70
70-27=47
47-30=17
Q is the 17th letter in the alphabet
17-10=7
Q=7

okay ....?

[Ad Bot]

[Ipquarx]

27 letters in alphabet

let me stop you right there

[Derontchi]

let me stop you right there

damnit
i counted Y and Z, lol.

[Blockzillahead]

If he marked me wrong for getting 2 on a test, I'd call for an appeal process. I wouldn't let that stuff slide.

Still finding it really loving difficult how people can abandon standards just because they don't take a good long look at the question and make incorrect assumptions about it.

he still gave a valid reason for it. he said that some may argue its 288 depending on how they would choose to solve the question but he thinks its 2 because he has his own methods to solve it

[HerpaDerp]

Depends on way it's formatted

48
--- * (9+3) is 288
 2

If its

48
--- then it's 2
2(9+3)

[Ayxrion]

i am a loving handicap
im so sorry

actually i've been told different math in middle-high school

my high school teacher says you have to remove all parenthesis
middle school teacher said it doesnt matter

-.-

[ßlöükfáce]

(27 letters in alphabet)

u fokken wot

[Trifax]

How about this:

Q=7
7=3+4
30+40=70
70-27=47 (27 letters in alphabet)
47-30=17
Q is the 17th letter in the alphabet
17-10=7
Q=7

That all looks correct to me, sir!

[Doomonkey]

asked my calculus prof
he said 2.

i asked why and he said because how the way "2(9+3)" is written. its implicit. its implying that 2 is already part of that 9+3. he said if the multiplication sign would be added in like "2*(9+3)" then the answer would be 288. thats his take on it.

By that logic -(7)² = 49 because - is already part of 7. In fact, it is exactly the opposite; the parentheses clarify that the - is not part of the 7.

[otto-san]

he still gave a valid reason for it. he said that some may argue its 288 depending on how they would choose to solve the question but he thinks its 2 because he has his own methods to solve it

math isn't really about having your own methods tho

the point of math is that there is at least one definite process to finishing something; the individual's process is only in mental efficiency in completing these processes

if his reason was that the two and (9+3) are a single term that's just outright false

[$trinick]

By that logic -(7)² = 49 because - is already part of 7. In fact, it is exactly the opposite; the parentheses clarify that the - is not part of the 7.

Not.. really.. Exponents clearly occur before multiplication in the order of operations. With 2(9+3) the first thing you'd do is distribute the 2. So in that case, converting that equation to an equivalent where the first thing to do is distribute, it'd actually be..

By that logic -(49) = -49 because - is already part of 49.

Which is perfectly correct.

Alternately, for better clarity;

By that logic, -(9 + 3) = -12 because - is part of (-9 + -3) -- which is still true.

[Doomonkey]

Not.. really.. Exponents clearly occur before multiplication in the order of operations.

Umm, maybe you should reread the post I was quoting. His professor was implying that x(y) was something other than x*(y), aka not multiplication. This is not correct.

[Aoki²]

48
2(9+3)
It's two because 2(9+3) is one term. Division is a grouping symbol.

[Fab]

my math teacher said it's 2.

[dkamm65]

my math teacher said it's 2.

Your math teacher sucks at his/her job.

forget, people. This is why we have order of operations to begin with. 48/2(9+3) is not ambiguous at all. There is only one solution because the rules we have in place were put there to make sure everything has one solution every time. If people weren't morons and knew how to follow the rules, these "argue over a solution" threads wouldn't exist.

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

Parenthesis.
Factorials.
Exponents.
Multiplication and division, left to right.
Addition and subtraction, left to right.

It's 288.