x404.co.uk
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/

48÷2(9+3)
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13444		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:42 pm ]
Post subject:  48÷2(9+3)
Calculate the answer to 48÷2(9+3)

What do you get?
Author:  jonbwfc [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
Does nobody learn BODMAS these days? Besides, when I was doing maths, you'd have got shouted at for missing the multiplication symbol, even though it's implied.

Jon
Author:  leeds_manc [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
48

It strikes me that I've forgotten what takes priority, ok here goes again. I get 2.


:edit: isn't it obviously 2? Why would you get the other figure?
Author:  Paul1965 [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
Image
Author:  timark_uk [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
36.
(Do I get the cool QI FAIL klaxon?)

Mark
Author:  Spreadie [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
Surely it would be 48÷(2(9+3))=2

48÷2(9+3) would work out as 48÷2x12 = 288
Author:  ProfessorF [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
I read that as 24x12.
Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
timark_uk wrote:
36.
(Do I get the cool QI FAIL klaxon?)

Mark

No. You get locked in the cupboard with Jo Brandt for fifteen minutes. :lol:
Author:  JJW009 [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
If you'd written 48 ÷ 2 x (9+3) then I'd have said 288

If you'd written 48 / 2 * (9+3) I'd have said 288

If you'd written 48 / 2(9+3) I'd have said 2 because I'd have taken the entire second half to be underneath.

Without the multiplication sign, I read the 2(9+3) as a single item. However, I'd never mix the 'rithmetic convention of "times" and "divide" signs with the more algebraic convention of never using them at all. Seriously; when did you ever see a ÷ in anything past high school?

I voted for 2 because there wasn't a "slap the teacher" option.
Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
This was all taken off another forum and it was interesting to see what peoples' interpretation of the question was.
Author:  JJW009 [ Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
Found this after you said you'd seen the exact question elsewhere:

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/48293

The important extracts are that:

multiplication and division hold equal precedence

and

many calculators and textbooks state that a higher value of precedence should be placed on implied multiplication than on explicit multiplication

The problem really is the bad form of the question.
Author:  JJW009 [ Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
jonbwfc wrote:
Does nobody learn BODMAS these days?


Read this from Wiki:

Quote:
Mnemonics are often used to help students remember the rules, but the rules taught by the use of acronyms can be misleading. In Canada the acronym BEDMAS is common. It stands for Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. In other English speaking countries, Brackets may be called Parentheses, or symbols of inclusion and Exponentiation may be called either Indices, Powers or Orders, and since multiplication and division are of equal precedence, M and D are often interchanged, leading to such acronyms as BIMDAS, BODMAS, BOMDAS, BERDMAS, PERDMAS, PEMDAS, PEDMAS and BPODMAS.

These mnemonics may be misleading, especially if the user is not aware that multiplication and division are of equal precedence, as are addition and subtraction.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations
Author:  MrStevenRogers [ Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
ProfessorF wrote:
I read that as 24x12.

ditto ...
Author:  leeds_manc [ Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
I was taught BPODMAS :)
Author:  l3v1ck [ Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 48÷2(9+3)
ProfessorF wrote:
I read that as 24x12.

+1
I know there are rules on these things (which I'm not 100% sure of), but I always add enough brackets to make it perfectly clear when I write formulas. For that I'd have written:
(48÷2)(9+3)
Page 1 of 3 All times are UTC
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
https://www.phpbb.com/