48/2(9+3)=?

Got this from a other forum and at 500 treads in 2 days there is no concensus.

The two answers is 2 and 288. Calculated as follows

48/2(9+3)=
48/(18+6)=
48/24=2

or

48/2(9+3)=
24x(9+3)=
24x12=288

IMO the answers is 2.

 

had this debate on a different forum last week. cut a long story short just use the rule BODMAS.

 

yes,
id say
48/2(12)
48/24
2

i think this is wrong because i'd get:
48/2(9+3)=
24/(9+3)=
24/12=2

this is right

 

I'd say its 2 aswell. Coz u first do your brackets, then multiplication and lastly division.

 

oh i see.. depends on what it means.. if its (48/2)(9+3) then this is 288 if its 48/(2(9+3)) then its 2

 

Correct answer is 288.
48/2(9+3)

You do the brackets first so
48/2(12)

But remember 2(12) doesn't count as "brackets" in BODMAS/BOMDAS, it's actually 2 x (12)
So we have:
48 / 2 x 12
With division and multiplication being on the same level we do it from left to right.
24 x 12
288

 

:withstupid:

 

yes but what if its a=(9+3) so 48/2a = 24/a = 24/12 = 2?

you cant say that 48/2(9+3) is the same as 48/2x(9+3)

 

The correct answer is 2

 

i think that the problem is that its not written in proper mathematical format.. because if written differently, it is different answers:

so i say 48/2(9+3) is ambiguous which means the answer is 288 and 2? hehe

 

I suppose it is ambiguous to a degree, but if you want the top version to be correct you would have to put parentheses around the 48/2. The way it is written, we first resolve the 2(9+3) to 24, and then perform the division.

 

Also, 1=2...

Proof:

 

Then again, I could be wrong link :sick:

 

In step 4 you would factor out the "a" to "a(a + b)". Dividing 2a(squared) by "a" gives you 2a = a + b.

 

well its because you are starting with the wrong definition.
a = b is false
if a=b then this means that b=a which means that a=a and b=b

so obviously if u start out with a=b the overall equation will be wrong

clever though.. took me a few mins

 

ok my explanation is abit flawed but the problem in the equation stems from the start

 

Yep, but "a" could equal 1 and "b" could equal 1, in which case a=b is true.

 

so if a=b and you subs into the equation in the last line 2(a(sq)-ab) = 1(a(sq)-ab)

then this will give you
2((b(sq)-b(sq)) = 1 ((b(sq)-b(sq))
2(0) = 1(0)
0=0
which is correct.. i rem something abt this sum in maths at varsity.. cant rem now.. hmm

 

2(9+3) means addition inside the bracket FIRST, no sign between '2' and bracket, means multiplication.
so its 48/24 = 2

a,b,c,d,e does not constitute 1,2,3,4,5
in a proof, they are basically UNKNOWNS, so A = B, is 1=1 or 2=2 or 3=3 or 4=4 or 5=5... NOT 1=2

 

oh i think it was that you not allowed to cancel out all variables of the equation! yes.. else answer will be incorrect.. so if you were left with a= something or b= something it would be right?? something like that..

Math was so long ago hehe