[glennaro]

At first I thought 2 was the correct answer but --curiously, I think -- yours is a valid point because since division and multiplication are treated equally in terms of operational hierarchy, the recognized practice (absent parentheses) of solving the problem from left to right yields the 288 result.

Perhaps both are equally valid answers which means the solution is not determinable from the problem statement.

[MortMan]

Using standard left-to-right decoding, the answer is 288.

(I had to check my memory that left-to-right is the RULE, as opposed to a preferred method, BTW)

[Forty-Niner]

Try this:

48
______________ = 2
2(9+3)

2 is correct........

[Forty-Niner]

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