The answer is 288.
48/2(9+3) is evaluated just like several people have already said:
1. Parenthesis
2. Multiplication and division
3. Addition and subtraction
When the operators have the same precedence, solve from left to right.
Including the implied multiplication between the 2 and the parens gives 48/2*(9+3)
Solving —
Parens first gives: 48/2*12
Mult and div have same precedence, so work L to R: 24*12 = 288
Excel says so.
Google says so.
My HP50g says so.
C# says so.
JavaScript says so.
PHP says so.
The calculator which says 2 is wrong. So are the humans who agree with it. :-) If you believe it’s 2, do some research until you’re convinced otherwise, because 288 is the answer.
From PurpleMath.com:
“A common technique for remembering the order of operations is the abbreviation “PEMDAS”, which is turned into the phrase “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”. It stands for “Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, and Addition and Subtraction”. This tells you the ranks of the operations: Parentheses outrank exponents, which outrank multiplication and division (but multiplication and division are at the same rank), and these two outrank addition and subtraction (which are together on the bottom rank). When you have a bunch of operations of the same rank, you just operate from left to right.”
Sweet :) needed you about 2 hours ago ;)
Wish I had the speaking/typing skills you do :D
Bikk