Try this:
48
______________ = ?
2(9+3)
2 is correct........
Operationallly you cannot separate the 2 from the parands.
Thus 2(9+3) must be the first operation occurring in the equation.
2(9+3) = 2(12) = 24
48
____ = 2
24
What rule tells you the 2 and the (9+3) are inseparable?
48
______________ = ?
2(9+3)
^^^^^^^ This is not the original problem. Rewriting it this way is incorrect.
Because of precedence rules, the correct representation of the original problem is:
48
— * (9 + 3)
2