48÷2(9+3) = ?

[grundle]

Texas Instruments TI-85 says:

48÷2(9+3) = 2

But Texas Instruments TI-86 says:

48÷2(9+3) = 288

[stefanbatory]

yeah, i posted that in a subsequent post...

[aruanan]

The operation in the parentheses first. Then the operation between the outcome of the parenthetical operation and its factor, the 2, yielding 24, then the operation between the 24 and the 48, yielding 2. Look at it this way:

48__=
2(9+3)

48__=
2(12)

48__=
24

2

[Eldon Tyrell]

Don’t let the streams cross.

[BushCountry]

Excel = 48/2*(9+3)

Forced the multiplication between the two expressions and provided 288 as the answer. Microsoft recommended solution yields 288.

[MortMan]

Why did you perform the operation between the 2 and the parenthesis before the division? They have the same mathematical precedence, and left-to-right processing says divide first.

In this case, the correct answer is 288.

[MortMan]

Technically, division and multiplication are of equal precedence. The division in this instance comes first left-to-right, so it gets processed first.

[Bikkuri]

BUT... once the () are calculated... you go back to left to right...

So, then you would have to finish the equation starting from the left.. get the answer.. then multiply the answer from the ()

[MortMan]

Multiplication and division are equal precedence, as are addition and subtraction. The order of appearance (L2R) decides which gets applied first.

[21twelve]

13x7 = 28

Abbott & Costello bit (with “Shemp”) in the backround

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo4NCXOX0p8

[MortMan]

Actually incorrect, because M and D have equal precedence, and their L2R order puts division first.

[Jonty30]

However, the order of operations says that brackets take precedence.

[MortMan]

Please do a search on mathematical precedence. Multiplication and division have the same precedence, as do addition and subtraction. Their order of appearance is what determines the correct answer here - which is 288.

[Bikkuri]

man, I hate Java :/

[SeaHawkFan]

For 288 to be the correct answer, the problem would have to be:

48 divided by 2 x (9+3),

but the problem is 48 divided by 2(9+3) = 2

It has always been understood that 2(9+3) is simply a shortened form of (2 x (9+3)).

[GingisK]

Division and multplication are handled from left to right unless a parenthetical expression is used.

You should have the following:

48/2(9+3)=x
48/2*12=x
24*12=x [Left to right]
x=288

[BushCountry]

Google’s Calculator agrees with Microsoft Excel. Put the threads expression in Google’s search bar and it yields.

(48 / 2) * (9 + 3) = 288

[SeaHawkFan]

The problem is not 48/2*(9+3),
it is 48/2(9+3).

[joe fonebone]

Hey!!!!!... everyone knows 2 + 2 = 22....

[Bikkuri]

Nope - 2(9+3) has priority due to parenthesis.

No.. once the math inside the () is done, you start back from left to right.. The total from the left to right is then multiplied to the total from the total in ()..

[MortMan]

If it’s not written into the formal rules of mathematical precedence (aka order of operations), what he is saying is untrue. I have checked several websites for precedence rules, and the lack of a formal operator isn’t even mentioned - it’s just a lazy shorthand.