[algore]

I used to think that, but answer me this

8 / 2(2+2) =

I say it = 1 but consensus says I am wrong

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/math/a28569610/viral-math-problem-2019-solved/

[dayglored]

It's a classic "order of operations" problem. The order that I learned is:

1. Operations inside parentheses (fractional numerator and denominator are considered independently parenthesized)
2. Powers, exponentials, logarithms
3. Multiplication and division, proceeding left-to-right
4. Addition and subtraction, proceeding left-to-right

So to solve 8/2*(2+2) (I added the * to clarify the implied multiply)

1. Add 2+2, so the parenthesized value is 4
2. All remaining operations are multiplication and division, so proceed left to right. 8 divided by 2 is 4, times 4 is 16.

To get your answer of 1, we have to make an assumption: that everything to the right of the division is the denominator of a fraction in which 8 is the numerator, i.e.:

8 / ( 2 * (2 + 2) ) = 1

In this case the "consensus" is about the rules of order of operations. Under the set of rules I learned, the correct answer is 16.

Note that if the problem had been written using fractional notation it would have been obvious immediately which interpretation was intended.

And FWIW, the above is a good example of why I prefer calculators that use RPN (Reverse Polish Notation, XY+) to AN (Algebraic Notation, X+Y). RPN is unambiguous and does not require parentheses; it's also the way computers actually do arithmetic operations (get X, get Y, add them).

[Enterprise]

You are right. The answer is one. The way we were taught is that 8 is divided by a number. But what is that number? It is 2(2+2). Before you can divide 8 by the second number you have to determine its value, which is 8. If you separate the first 2 from the equation, it becomes a different equation with a different answer. For them to come up with 16 the question would have to read what is 8/2 X (2+2).