Math problem....

I'm just curious. I've seen this on other forums and was wondering how it would play out here.

Well, it is a bit misleading:
Are you asking 48(9+3)
over 2 or

do you mean 48
over2(9+3)
Because those are both your answers....
It's where you place (9+3) which is ambiguous in your question.

48.....
2(3+9)=2

I am not good at math....

2 or 288

The ambiguity comes by not chosing another font and format in which to post the equation.

Rule 20: Order of Operations


http://www.sosmath.com/algebra/fraction ... ac391.html

My DU students says 2 Order of operations?

48 .(9+3)
2

or

48
2(9+3)

It could be read either way.
The ambiguity comes by not chosing another font and format in which to post the equation.

You needed to put the third option in the poll...both are right.

That's really interesting.

I'm in IT. We pay alot of attention to parsing statements and the precidence of operations.
Brackets first.
Parenthesis come next.
Multiplication and division are next, with equal precidence. perform operations from left to right.
Addition and subtraction are next, with equal precidence. perform operations from left to right.

So,

48/2(9+3) = 48/2(12) = 24(12) = 288

The big argument I've seen is that somehow people think the implied multiplication takes precidence over the stated division. That's a rule of precidence I've never heard before seeing this discussion on a math forum.

All agree it's a poorly written statement. I've seen the problem on several forums, and it's come to a 50/50 split on every single one of them.