48÷2(9+3) =

[Matthiasa]

just saying...
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=w%2Fx(w+z)
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=a/b(c+d)

 

[IronWing]

Good thing computers and things that requires precise calculations knows exactly which orders to calculate and carry out functions. Else we'd be in a world of hurt.

Can you imagine? "Hmm... don't know if that light should be green yet, if I switch this order of calculation around, it shouldn't be for another 36 seconds... hmm... what to do..."

The equation wasn't written for computers. It was written for humans to read.

 

[Cheesetogo]

It does make perfect sense mathematically in that if one standard or the other is used, all ambiguity in the equation in the OP is removed.

Yes, which is why I modified my original posting (though you quoted the modified one). But I am unsure as to why you would, in this context, use another standard. I am not in Computer Science though, so I am sure someone else could probably explain to me why that standard is used in some cases to begin with.

 

[RedRooster]

To be fair, if you're a coder, you're probably gonna say 2. VB, SQL, ASP, it all resolves the 2(9+3) before doing the rest.

 

[SSSnail]

The equation wasn't written for computers. It was written for humans to read.

Who the fuck do you think put those RULES into those computers? Those humans are reading it wrong. Good thing we don't trust many humans doing many things.

 

[zanejohnson]

Who the fuck do you think put those RULES into those computers? Those humans are reading it wrong. Good thing we don't trust many humans doing many things.

but you gotta look at what we know as math... it's all idealogy...

and we know now idealogy doesnt stand up to facts.. or physics... and we dont even know physics at this point???? i mean..do we really?

 

[Imp]

I went with 2. Excel says 288.

It's the shitty way it's written. Once we got past grade 3, my math teachers almost never touched the divide symbol. Since you can't type denominators, it is often assumed that anything to the right of "/" or the divide symbol is part of the denominator.

 

[James3shin]

This thread has made me laugh so hard.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

{ }
[ ]
( )

Problem solved.
​

 

[purbeast0]

just saying...
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=w/x(w+z)
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=a/b(c+d)

umm ... there are no variables in this question.

 

[zanejohnson]

{ }
[ ]
( )

Problem solved.
​

true following order of operations.


not true, not following order of operations.

that's the stance im taking.

 

[James3shin]

Just follow the rules of math! Only right or wrong - numbers don't lie.

 

[zanejohnson]

Just follow the rules of math! Only right or wrong - numbers don't lie.

somebody run the problem backwards..im not good at math or i would..

but math should be able to be self checked amirite?

 

[Matthiasa]

umm ... there are no variables in this question.

Its math it doesn't matter and when doing higher lvl stuff switching out all numbers for variables(when possible) is a good practice to get into.

 

[James3shin]

Let's kill this multiplication before division nonsense:

Change the "÷2" into "*0.5." What answer do you get?

 

[NuclearNed]

Let's kill this multiplication before division nonsense:

Change the "÷2" into "*0.5." What answer do you get?

The division symbol carries with it an explicit order of precedence, as does the multiplication symbol. You cannot interchange them without fundamentally changing the equation. In other words, "÷2" does not equal "*0.5." because of the "metadata" that resides in each of those strings.

 

[vi edit]

So did the fucking plane take off or not?

 

[James3shin]

The division symbol carries with it an explicit order of precedence, as does the multiplication symbol. You cannot interchange them without fundamentally changing the equation. In other words, "÷2" does not equal "*0.5." because of the "metadata" that resides in each of those strings.

How does multiplication have precedence over division? Where in math does it say that division is to be preceded by multiplication at all times? "My Dear Aunt Sally" is a mnemonic to a misleading guideline taught to grade school students.

The only way I can think of people answering "2" is if they are inserting/implying that there is a bracket or parentheses around the "2(9+3)."

 

[DaTT]

Regardless of the answer (which is 288) .99999999999999etc still equals 1, right?

 

[Crusty]

So did the fucking plane take off or not?

It didn't, there's a tailwind at 180 knots. We're fucked.

 

[NuclearNed]

How does multiplication have precedence over division? Where in math does it say that division is to be preceded by multiplication at all times? "My Dear Aunt Sally" is a mnemonic to a misleading guideline taught to grade school students.

The only way I can think of people answering "2" is if they are inserting/implying that there is a bracket or parentheses around the "2(9+3)."

read the article linked in my earlier post. There are plenty of sources that say that multiplicaton takes precedence over division - it's not just a "misleading guideline". According to the article, this is in fact the classical definition of mathematical order of precedence, which would make the answer 2.

 

[Matthiasa]

Regardless of the answer (which is 288) .99999999999999etc still equals 1, right?

.99999999999999etc= .99999999999999etc

.9...=1

 

[zinfamous]

Point out where I was wrong in my algebra then.

lol

 

[SKORPI0]

48 divided by 2 times (the sum of 9 and 3). Do the math left to right.

Long thread about this....
Poll: What is the answer to 48/2(9+3)?

 

[thereds]

I voted for 2 after reading the thread. I want 2 to win!!!

Indeed.