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288 or 2 ?

  • 288

    Votes: 154 48.4%
  • 2

    Votes: 164 51.6%

  • Total voters
    318
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Oh I know people do.
But I am also willing to bet that a vast majority of the people who selected the 2 for the answer have fairly little math comparably.
This is breaking down more to the people who have the degrees based in math/ engineering to those who do not.

Which group do you think is going to understand the rules of math better. The people with heavy math based degrees or those who do not.

Oh I agree, hence why I suggested waaaaaaay back in post 129 of this lol as it would be interesting to see
I wish there was a poll option of who is getting 288 and is say in a technical field such as engineering/stats/physics, etc

My guess is that 288 is coming from people who use math extensively and 2 coming from those who may not...
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but I was taught to do operations in this order:

Brackets
Of
Divide
Multiply
Add
Subtract

i.e. BODMAS



48/2(9+3)

1. Do brackets first. Within the brackets is an add sum, so you do that and you get 48 / 2(12)

2. Now "Of" 2(12) is the same as 2/1 of 12 which is simply 24. So now we have 48 / 24

3. 2

You are wrong.

Order is
1. Brackets
2. Exponentiate
3. Divide or multiple (which ever comes first left to right)
4. Add or Subtract (which ever comes first left to right.)
So
48/2(9+3)
Brackets 9+3=12 so now you have 48/2(12) or other wise 48/2*12.
Now we work left to right. 48/2 = 24 so now you have 24*12
24*12=288
 
Oh I agree, hence why I suggested waaaaaaay back in post 129 of this lol

Yeah. This break down showing 50% of the people think the answer is 2 is telling me that Math skills all over the world suck. It is use it or lose it.
For me I considered basic Math to be Cal I and down. So basic math for me starts at Cal I.
 
I was taught BODMAS, and the O stands for "order". As in power or indices. It refers to things like x^2 (x squared). x(y) is just multiplication.

You're right, Of is the same as Multiply. Yet I can distinctively remember being told that the O stands for Of. You're right. I'm embarrassed - I have a degree in maths!

Can you give me an example of what you mean by order?

How is "Of" different from multiplication or division?

Where do your exponents or "orders" go?

How do you interpret this per your prescription?

10 - 3 + 2 = ?

B

Of is the same as multiplication. It doesn't matter what order you do your above sum.

10 - 3 + 2 = 7 + 2 = 9

or

10 - 3 + 2 = 10 - 1 = 9.

Nah, we need the Q in here lol



of? not exponent or order?

You're right - we do need Doctor Q!

Yes, my mistake.

You are wrong.

Order is
1. Brackets
2. Exponentiate
3. Divide or multiple (which ever comes first left to right)
4. Add or Subtract (which ever comes first left to right.)
So
48/2(9+3)
Brackets 9+3=12 so now you have 48/2(12) or other wise 48/2*12.
Now we work left to right. 48/2 = 24 so now you have 24*12
24*12=288

You are correct!
 
Yeah. This break down showing 50% of the people think the answer is 2 is telling me that Math skills all over the world suck. It is use it or lose it.
For me I considered basic Math to be Cal I and down. So basic math for me starts at Cal I.

I have a degree in math and use it all the time for my job. I think evaluating the expression as 2 has merit. At the very least, it's a poorly formed expression for the very fact it's open to interpretation.
 
I have a degree in math and use it all the time for my job. I think evaluating the expression as 2 has merit. At the very least, it's a poorly formed expression for the very fact it's open to interpretation.

and I also willing to bet that even you think 2 is the wrong answer. It merit is very low. Yes I can see how someone can come to that result but does not change the fact that 2 is incorrect and wrong.

Only way it could be 2 is if it was written 48/(2(9+3))
 
Yeah. This break down showing 50% of the people think the answer is 2 is telling me that Math skills all over the world suck. It is use it or lose it. For me I considered basic Math to be Cal I and down. So basic math for me starts at Cal I.

That may be harsh, this is one small issue. This one thing isn't a good indication.

What is "proper maths" is quite subjective. I was always reasonably happy with things like calculus, it wasn't easy but I got it. I could merrily go along with it. I learned the basics of matrices/determinants before that but I struggled, because my brain just doesn't work that way. I'd look like a toddler poking at the question with my fingers and crying. Most of my friends were the other way around.
 
Of is the same as multiplication. It doesn't matter what order you do your above sum.

Order, exponents or powers could be what you were thingking "of" ;)

3^3 is three to the power of three.

At least you see it as a sum.

Many who take the mnemonic seriously and don't understand it would say 5 because they do the addition first before subtracting.

10 - 3 + 2 = 10 - 5 = 5.

In order to get 2 from the problem at hand you somehow have to prioritize the implied multiplication operation from juxtaposition. The AMS link above does just that. Otherwise, if you do the equal precedence operators left to right. 48/2*12 is 288.

B
 
I asked my Calculus 2 teacher today just to put this to a rest and he agreed with me and said it was 288.

This is how my teacher said he would solve it:

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

He then asked me if this was a problem in the book and I had to laugh and say no.

I cannot believe people think the order doesn't matter, the fact that this thread has so many pages and the fact that ~50% believe the answer is 2. :confused:
 
Oh I know people do.
But I am also willing to bet that a vast majority of the people who selected the 2 for the answer have fairly little math comparably.
This is breaking down more to the people who have the degrees based in math/ engineering to those who do not.

Which group do you think is going to understand the rules of math better. The people with heavy math based degrees or those who do not.

Does having a math-based degree from Texas Tech count though?:D
 
Order, exponents or powers could be what you were thingking "of" ;)

3^3 is three to the power of three.

At least you see it as a sum.

Many who take the mnemonic seriously and don't understand it would say 5 because they do the addition first before subtracting.

10 - 3 + 2 = 10 - 5 = 5.

In order to get 2 from the problem at hand you somehow have to prioritize the implied multiplication operation from juxtaposition. The AMS link above does just that. Otherwise, if you do the equal precedence operators left to right. 48/2*12 is 288.

B

Thanks balamw. Probably what I've been taught is Of as in 2 to the power of 2 etc (like you said), and over the years I've adapted it to make me think it meant the same as three quarters of 100 when in actual fact that is multiply.

For your question when performing the calculation in my head it see it as 10 + (-3) + 2.
 
All the people who chose "2" as the answer clearly never did their college math homework on a computer. When you get to a number next to a number in parentheses it means multiply. ex: 3(10) =30. It's not an exponent as exponents are expressed 3^10 and without a second set of parentheses around the 2(9+3) you start on the left and go right.

The answer is 288. I suggest a college-level math refresher course.
 
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and I also willing to bet that even you think 2 is the wrong answer. It merit is very low. Yes I can see how someone can come to that result but does not change the fact that 2 is incorrect and wrong.

Only way it could be 2 is if it was written 48/(2(9+3))

I asked my Calculus 2 teacher today just to put this to a rest and he agreed with me and said it was 288.

This is how my teacher said he would solve it:

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

He then asked me if this was a problem in the book and I had to laugh and say no.

I cannot believe people think the order doesn't matter, the fact that this thread has so many pages and the fact that ~50% believe the answer is 2. :confused:


generalization is always problematic though, I asked before, but nobody answered:

y/2x=7
what is y when x=3?

and more in general, would you consider
x/yz = xz/y generally true for z≠1?


All the people who chose "2" as the answer clearly never did their college math homework on a computer. When you get to a number next to a number in parentheses it means multiply. ex: 3(10) =30. It's not an exponent as exponents are expressed 3^10.
The answer is 288. I suggest a college-level math refresher course.
and i suggest an elementary-level reading refresher course, because people in the "2" camp is NOT suggesting that it should be an exponent (i am not sure anyone suggested that at all).
 
generalization is always problematic though, I asked before, but nobody answered:

y/2x=7
what is y when x=3?

and more in general, would you consider
x/yz = xz/y generally true for z≠1?



and i suggest an elementary-level reading refresher course, because people in the "2" camp is NOT suggesting that it should be an exponent (i am not sure anyone suggested that at all).

It’s “are” not “is.” :D
 
generalization is always problematic though, I asked before, but nobody answered:

y/2x=7
what is y when x=3?

and more in general, would you consider
x/yz = xz/y generally true for z≠1?



and i suggest an elementary-level reading refresher course, because people in the "2" camp is NOT suggesting that it should be an exponent (i am not sure anyone suggested that at all).

Re-read my post followed by the rest of the thread... :rolleyes:
Also, you can go join that entry-level grammar course: "... because people in the "2" camp ARE not suggesting..." fixed.
 
y/2x=7
what is y when x=3?

That's an excellent point.

I'm happy to express y/2(3) as 3y/2 for example (which is why I voted 288 here, that's what the writer means). But having 2x like that makes it much harder even though it is really the same thing. I just can't imagine why anyone would write that instead of xy/2. I can't help but think that is supposed to be y/(2x) and someone missed out the brackets. This is what I've been saying, it doesn't matter how strict the definition of "/" is if people don't consistently use it in that way.
 
never said i couldn't use one as well, besides that would be grammar ;)



you can :rolleyes: until they get stuck, but you post still makes no sense, since you are claiming people are say things they never said.

It's two ideas separated with a period. Should I make them separate paragraphs?
 
generalization is always problematic though, I asked before, but nobody answered:

y/2x=7
what is y when x=3?

and more in general, would you consider
x/yz = xz/y generally true for z≠1?
y would = (7/3)*2

Your your 2nd question x/y*z = x*z/y is true even if z =1. Hell no matter what z = it would be true. Remember division is nothing more than multiply something by x^-1.
 
y would = (7/3)*2

Your your 2nd question x/y*z = x*z/y is true even if z =1. Hell no matter what z = it would be true. Remember division is nothing more than multiply something by x^-1.

y=14/3

It's 288 and the reason has been posted a million times already.

well, i would be willing to bet good money that a vast majority of people, including mathematicians (and the two of you if you had seen it before this thread) would have quickly said 42, without a second thought, because convention makes you read that as "y over 2x" not as "y over 2, times x".
 
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