48÷2(9+3) = ????

[Gods_Debris]

Look man, no need for insults patna. I guess if you're wrong about any subject in life, then others have the right to call you dumb...so are you saying that parenthesis supercedes the division theory.

(48/2)(9+3)

Or does this still equal 2?

no, just because parentheses multiply does not mean that they mean multiplication jackass... (a+b)/(c+d) oooooo look who's so smart honestly my intent is not to insult but inform but you are i think unintentionally insulting your intellectual superiors. i forgive you. if you weren't so smug i would not have come to the last conclusion


only to notice i spelled conclusion wrong..

 

[Gods_Debris]

by the way, i do this for shits and giggles. i think the quote will tell you how i feel i about this math/science thing-a-muh-bobbie. please dispute my previous post....

 

[followup]

see so basically at the end he's like fuck I don't know if I'm right or not ask your teacher and go with them.

nope. He gives a SINGLE SOLUTION TO THAT EQUATION. He is talking about entering it into a calculator and he is wondering how a device as perfect as a calculator can come up with 2 different solutions...it's because it is a machine. It can only do what we tell it to do.

He also makes a statement about a consensus among mathematicians:
The general consensus among math people is that "multiplication by juxtaposition" (that is, multiplying by just putting things next to each other, rather than using the "×" sign) indicates that the juxtaposed values must be multiplied together before processing other operations.

 

[Gods_Debris]

Look man, no need for insults patna. I guess if you're wrong about any subject in life, then others have the right to call you dumb...so are you saying that parenthesis supercedes the division theory.

(48/2)(9+3)

Or does this still equal 2?

oh by the way, the insults may be a bit overkill but they are because you are not listening you are just pushing a point that is incorrect for the sake of argument, which is a true bitch move. i mean that is what my bitches do. stop and think about this for a minute and stop arguing something you really don't comprehend and in truth, i know you don't otherwise there would be no way to dispute it.

 

[Dragonfly Jones]

nope. He gives a SINGLE SOLUTION TO THAT EQUATION. He is talking about entering it into a calculator and he is wondering how a device as perfect as a calculator can come up with 2 different solutions...it's because it is a machine. It can only do what we tell it to do.

He also makes a statement about a consensus among mathematicians:
The general consensus among math people is that "multiplication by juxtaposition" (that is, multiplying by just putting things next to each other, rather than using the "×" sign) indicates that the juxtaposed values must be multiplied together before processing other operations.

I sent an email to the site with the question. I'll post when I get a follow up email. This site and example leads me to believe the answer is 2 however on mathway.com it has this problem and answer at 288. I am going to email them too. Hopefully they both come up with the same answer. That example also deals with brackets not just parentheses so it might be a little different. I still will post whatever I get.

 

[followup]

There are CDs and software downloads available on that same site...

The author's credentials:
http://www.purplemath.com/resume.htm
Elizabeth Stapel's Resumé


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Teaching Experience

Western International University, Phoenix, Arizona

October 1997 through June 2006: teaching prealgebra, algebra, and business math to students of diverse backgrounds in a business environment.
Winter 2003 through Spring 2004: helped design an introductory proseminar that provides entering students with information and encouragement regarding college success.
12 June 1999: helped lead a faculty study group on the subject of effective lecturing.
Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Chandler, Arizona

Spring and Fall 1999, Spring 2000 semesters: teaching algebra
South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, Arizona

Spring and Summer 1996, Fall 1997, Fall 1998, and Spring 1999 semesters: teaching high school students in a collaborative pilot algebra program; teaching elementary algebra classes; teaching/piloting a reform calculus class.
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Spring 1996 semester: teaching elementary algebra and elementary linear algebra; assisting department's book-search committee in choosing a new algebra text.
Simply Mathematics Tutoring, Ballwin, Missouri

February 1995 to June 1995: tutoring middle school, high school, and college students in various areas of mathematics.
Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri

Fall 1994 semester: teaching an evening calculus course for non-traditional, multi-cultural students.
St. Louis Community College of Florissant Valley, Saint Louis, Missouri

Fall 1994 semester: teaching non-traditional, multi-cultural students in remedial arithmetic and beginning algebra.
Southwestern Bell Telephone and Florissant Valley Community College, Saint Louis, Missouri

August 1994: teaching a weekend algebra review session for Southwestern Bell employees, preparing them for a college-administered placement exam (a sufficient score on the exam entered students in a special study program, leading to a promotion within the company).
Sylvan Learning Center, Creve Coeur, Missouri

April 1994 to July 1994: tutoring students of all school grades and of all abilities in Reading, Mathematics, Study Skills, and ACT Prep Programs.
Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri

August 1992 to May 1994: leading weekly supplementary calculus help sessions, grading quizzes; collecting and assessing student feedback and opinion.
Fall 1993 semester: leading supplementary calculus help-sessions in student dorms.
Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

August 1991 to June 1992: teaching precalculus algebra students; staffing Math Help Room.
August 1990 to June 1991: proctoring (group tutoring and teaching) for an innovative self-study remedial math program.
March 1990 to August 1991: grading homework for math department; proctoring tests; assisting in developing a departmental homework grading policy.
Summer 1990 quarter: staffing Math Help Room: assisting students in all classes through calculus.
January 1989 to March 1990: working for the University Tutoring Division: tutoring all lower-level math classes and all classifications of students, including disabled and LD.
Educational History

Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona
Fall 1996 semester: a course for teachers in community colleges

Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri
August 1994 to December 1994: courses geared toward a teaching degree; GPA: 3.92/4.00

Meramec Community College, Saint Louis, Missouri
Interim and Summer, 1994: courses for Missouri teacher certification; GPA: 4.00/4.00

Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri
August 1992 to May 1994: M.A., Mathematics; GPA: 3.36/4.00

Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
August 1991 to June 1992: B.S., Mathematics, summa cum laude; GPA: 3.922/4.000
January 1988 to June 1991: graduate study, teaching experience; GPA: 4.000/4.000

Honors / Publications / Etc.

"Purplemath" site awarded third place in She Knows national poll, October 2010
"Purplemath" lesson referenced in The New York Times, August 2010
"Purplemath" added to Schoolzone's webguide of recommended sites, January 2009
"Purplemath" was included in Homeschool.com's "Top 100" Web sites list, January 2008
"Purplemath" was a featured "Web Byte" in the NCTM news bulletin, September 2006
"Purplemath" was included in the listing of "Net Goodies" in the NADE "Math SPIN News" journal, January 2006
"Purplemath" was included in T.H.E. Journal's listing of General Math Resources, July 2005
"Purplemath" was listed as a TechLearning "Site of the Day", February 2005
"Purplemath" was featured in the Webwatch column in The Telegraph newspaper of Calcutta, India, 16 February 2005
"Purplemath" was added to EEVL's Mathematics listings, February 2005
"Purplemath" was added to Homeschool.com's "Top 100" Web Sites list, September 2004
"Purplemath" was rated by Education World as an "A+" site, October 2003
"Purplemath" added to the Internet Scout Report's archive of educational resources, June 2003
"Purplemath" was included in the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse's Digital Dozen, April 2003
"Purplemath" added to Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators, April 2003
"Purplemath" web site was listed as a Links2Learning "Premier Page", April 2002.
"Purplemath" was selected as an Education Planet "Top Math Site", February 2002.
"Purplemath" listed as a PBS "Recommended Site", January 2002.
"Purplemath" mentioned in a Wall Street Journal article titled "Homework Help Online", November 2001.
"Purplemath was chosen as a Learning in Motion "Top Ten Selection", October 2001.
"Purplemath" was an Internet Web Guide Magazine "Molecule of the Month" site, May 2001.
"Purplemath" was placed on the "Top20" list for algebra, September 2000.
"Purplemath" was the Math Goodies newsletter "Site of the Month", August 2000.
Received the "Web Site Excellence Award" from The School Page for the "Purplemath" web site, March 2000.
Was nominated by Florissant Valley Community College students for a departmental award recognizing excellence in teaching.
Published "Steps to Better Homework" in the Tips for Beginners column of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematic's Mathematics Teacher magazine (March 1993 issue). The article discussed assessment techniques, writing requirements, reasoning skills, and student feedback.
Developed a program for grading undergraduate mathematics homework, following the philosophy established in my above article, and demonstrated that high standards, introduced early, can have beneficial effects on students' study habits.
Represented Wright State University students at a conference with Erich Bloch (director, National Science Foundation) during Wright State University's 25th Anniversary Lecture Series.
Cited in Who's Who in American Education, Fifth Edition.
In addition, Purplemath has been listed as an online resource in such books as Cliffs Quick Review: Algebra II.

 

[followup]

I sent an email to the site with the question. I'll post when I get a follow up email. This site and example leads me to believe the answer is 2 however on mathway.com it has this problem and answer at 288. I am going to email them too. Hopefully they both come up with the same answer. That example also deals with brackets not just parentheses so it might be a little different. I still will post whatever I get.

I can see you are just hard-headed. She specifically said to NOT e-mail her about it LMAO!!! Oh lord....I hope for her sake that BGOL does not descend upon her e-mail inbox

 

[followup]

Yall had me bugging last night, so I sent a text with the problem typed 48/2(9+3) = ???? to my siblings. Ironically, the accountant/tax preparer got it wrong....and then blamed it on being tired because it is tax season double checking my god damn taxes as we speak

 

[Dragonfly Jones]

Yall had me bugging last night, so I sent a text with the problem typed 48/2(9+3) = ???? to my siblings. Ironically, the accountant/tax preparer got it wrong....and then blamed it on being tired because it is tax season double checking my god damn taxes as we speak

I just want to know if I'm wrong I need someone from one of those sites to tell me. If I'm right or wrong I'm posting it.

 

[followup]

I looked at mathway....it is essentially like a calculator. programmed to read from right to left. Unfortunately after I switched from a TI-82 to a TI-85, there were all kinds of differences. I would do a problem by hand and get a different answer if I checked with the TI-85. If I put it into a TI-82 it would get the same answer as I got by hand. That was when I learned that you have to enter everything a certain way iin a graphing calculator. It's easier to do it by hand. The caluculator is better for graphing than calculating...

 

[followup]

I just want to know if I'm wrong I need someone from one of those sites to tell me. If I'm right or wrong I'm posting it.

That is the best way to go about it. Looks like there is a contact at mathway, so hopefully they reply to you and give the correct answer....if not, I would go with the person with teaching experience and references backing up her site...

 

[followup]

One more thing....
If the original problem had been typed:
48÷2*(9+3), the answer is 288. In this case, the 2 is not right next to the parentheses so you can simply go left to right after solving what's inside the parentheses

 

[Dragonfly Jones]

That is the best way to go about it. Looks like there is a contact at mathway, so hopefully they reply to you and give the correct answer....if not, I would go with the person with teaching experience and references backing up her site...

Damn mathway was fast as hell with it this is their response

Hello,
It depends on how you set up the problem. If you enter it as 48/2(9+3), it is recognized as the fraction 48/2 times (9+3). This would give the answer 288. If you want the entire "2(9+3)" in the denominator of the fraction, the answer would be 2. If it is written in the book as 48÷2(9+3), then the answer should be 2. If the problem is written as a fraction (a numerator and a denominator with a line in between) and the entire "2(9+3)" is in the denominator, the answer should be 2. Without seeing the book the original problem was written in, I would guess it is one of those two options, both giving 2 as the answer.

Regards,
The Mathway Team

 

[Gods_Debris]

Damn mathway was fast as hell with it this is their response

Hello,
It depends on how you set up the problem. If you enter it as 48/2(9+3), it is recognized as the fraction 48/2 times (9+3). This would give the answer 288. If you want the entire "2(9+3)" in the denominator of the fraction, the answer would be 2. If it is written in the book as 48÷2(9+3), then the answer should be 2. If the problem is written as a fraction (a numerator and a denominator with a line in between) and the entire "2(9+3)" is in the denominator, the answer should be 2. Without seeing the book the original problem was written in, I would guess it is one of those two options, both giving 2 as the answer.

Regards,
The Mathway Team

/thread

 

[followup]

Damn mathway was fast as hell with it this is their response

Hello,
It depends on how you set up the problem. If you enter it as 48/2(9+3), it is recognized as the fraction 48/2 times (9+3). This would give the answer 288. If you want the entire "2(9+3)" in the denominator of the fraction, the answer would be 2. If it is written in the book as 48÷2(9+3), then the answer should be 2. If the problem is written as a fraction (a numerator and a denominator with a line in between) and the entire "2(9+3)" is in the denominator, the answer should be 2. Without seeing the book the original problem was written in, I would guess it is one of those two options, both giving 2 as the answer.

Regards,
The Mathway Team

well I think it's great that they have someone there to answer so quickly, but the software flaw is one that should be an easy fix. as long as they put in that the parentheses supercede all other operations, the flaw would be fixed...

 

[Dragonfly Jones]

well I think it's great that they have someone there to answer so quickly, but the software flaw is one that should be an easy fix. as long as they put in that the parentheses supercede all other operations, the flaw would be fixed...

Yup now I can move on from this thread

 

[A to Dah K]

Damn mathway was fast as hell with it this is their response

Hello,
It depends on how you set up the problem. If you enter it as 48/2(9+3), it is recognized as the fraction 48/2 times (9+3). This would give the answer 288. If you want the entire "2(9+3)" in the denominator of the fraction, the answer would be 2. If it is written in the book as 48÷2(9+3), then the answer should be 2. If the problem is written as a fraction (a numerator and a denominator with a line in between) and the entire "2(9+3)" is in the denominator, the answer should be 2. Without seeing the book the original problem was written in, I would guess it is one of those two options, both giving 2 as the answer.

Regards,
The Mathway Team

alot of smart dumb asses feeling dumb right about now


i just took this shit in math last semester
almost same exact question

 

[wiZe]

/thread

So Mathway is the authority now? They must be talking about how their software works...which is incorrectly. Why do they differentiate between '/' and '÷'?

Send that shit to Google or Wolfram Alpha and see what they say and why they calculate it differently.

Engineers and other quantitative professionals, how many of you use Mathway as a reference in your career?

 

[followup]

alot of smart dumb asses feeling dumb right about now


i just took this shit in math last semester
almost same exact question

it's not the not knowing...it's getting crazy with it, calling names, and speaking like an authority on the matter that gets me with BGOL, when it's VERY obvious that some are not....I guess both sides see the other side the same way and why would anybody take my word over their own? oh well...

now nycmicrowave & alexw may have a problem because they are the ones who gave credentials about being experts given their professions...

 

[followup]

Yup now I can move on from this thread

Good. And you learned something new, and you will teach your children so that they can get As in algebra and that is the most important thing

So Mathway is the authority now? They must be talking about how their software works...which is incorrectly. Why do they differentiate between '/' and '÷'?

Send that shit to Google or Wolfram Alpha and see what they say and why they calculate it differently.

Engineers and other quantitative professionals, how many of you use Mathway as a reference in your career?

LOL, you just won't give up! Mathway also offers personal tutoring online so I hope they are credentialed. I couldn't figure out where to look on their website for who is behind it...all I saw was information about the software. I would assume that an engineer or computer scientist who developed the site would understand algebra. but if you don't buy the person's explanation, check out the one on the site I posted (purplemath). She lists her credentials for you to review.

 

[streetdreamer]

One more thing....
If the original problem had been typed:
48÷2*(9+3), the answer is 288. In this case, the 2 is not right next to the parentheses so you can simply go left to right after solving what's inside the parentheses

I'm not going to read all those posts, but I remember that when you have to simplify an equation with x,y variables within parenthese, you would go from 2(x+y) to 2x+2y. It would seem to me that method would be made untrue given the argument here.

 

[wiZe]

alot of smart dumb asses feeling dumb right about now


i just took this shit in math last semester
almost same exact question

Not really. Google; Matlab; Mathematica >>>> Mathway.

Some of us live this shit instead of talking about what u think u learned last semester. As I said before, some schools r better than others.

Some may answer there is no right or wrong but there is definitely a best answer...and 2 is not it.

Math is not some equation in a book. Math is about application. Tre2k4 explained y 288 fits the bill. Only non-quantitative professionals on this board will still argue with that.

Mathway.

 

[darth frosty]

Yall people are astounding...






Ole good will hunting ass niggas

Still rolling wit 288

 

[xfactor]

Yall had me bugging last night, so I sent a text with the problem typed 48/2(9+3) = ???? to my siblings. Ironically, the accountant/tax preparer got it wrong....and then blamed it on being tired because it is tax season double checking my god damn taxes as we speak

So because the accountant/tax preparer got a different answer from you, it was automatically wrong?

I'm not sure what your answer to the problem was but based on the poll conducted on BGOL, there are a lot of people that are definitely lacking in their math skills.

 

[darth frosty]

Yall people are astounding...






Ole good will hunting ass niggas

Still rolling wit 288

 

[darth frosty]

Yall people are astounding...






Ole good will hunting ass niggas

Still rolling wit 288

 

[followup]

I'm not going to read all those posts, but I remember that when you have to simplify an equation with x,y variables within parenthese, you would go from 2(x+y) to 2x+2y. It would seem to me that method would be made untrue given the argument here.

the multiplication sign in front of the parentheses makes the parentheses on the same order as division. When there is another order, then 2*(x+y) is not the same as 2(x+y)
2(x+y)=2*(x+y), but
30/2(x+y) does not equal 30/2*(x+y)

 

[wiZe]

alot of smart dumb asses feeling dumb right about now


i just took this shit in math last semester
almost same exact question

Not really. Google; Matlab; Mathematica >>>> Mathway.

Some of us live this shit instead of talking about what u think u learned last semester. As I said before, some schools r better than others.

Some may answer there is no right or wrong but there is definitely a best answer...and 2 is not it.

Math is not some equation in a book. Math is about application. Tre2k4 explained y 288 fits the bill. Only non-quantitative professionals on this board will still argue with that.

Mathway.

 

[Rick Spanish]

Not really. Google; Matlab; Mathematica >>>> Mathway.

Some of us live this shit instead of talking about what u think u learned last semester. As I said before, some schools r better than others.

Some may answer there is no right or wrong but there is definitely a best answer...and 2 is not it.

Math is not some equation in a book. Math is about application. Tre2k4 explained y 288 fits the bill. Only non-quantitative professionals on this board will still argue with that.

Mathway.

You and Tre2k4 are both delusional, and don't want to admit you're wrong. Mathematica could say the answer was 2, and you'd still dispute it. The answer is still 2 no matter how you flip it though.

 

[wiZe]

Good. And you learned something new, and you will teach your children so that they can get As in algebra and that is the most important thing

LOL, you just won't give up! Mathway also offers personal tutoring online so I hope they are credentialed. I couldn't figure out where to look on their website for who is behind it...all I saw was information about the software. I would assume that an engineer or computer scientist who developed the site would understand algebra. but if you don't buy the person's explanation, check out the one on the site I posted (purplemath). She lists her credentials for you to review.

@ tutoring. Wolfram Alpha, Matlab, SASS do corporate, government, and international "tutoring". I guess that doesn't trump Mathway's personal tutoring.

 

[followup]

@ tutoring. Wolfram Alpha, Matlab, SASS do corporate, government, and international "tutoring". I guess that doesn't trump Mathway's personal tutoring.

you ignoring the second part of my statement shows that you can't be mature and admit you were wrong. Good luck with that attitude in life

 

[whatdidusay]

The answer is 2 god damn it!

 

[Rick Spanish]

Damn mathway was fast as hell with it this is their response

Hello,
It depends on how you set up the problem. If you enter it as 48/2(9+3), it is recognized as the fraction 48/2 times (9+3). This would give the answer 288. If you want the entire "2(9+3)" in the denominator of the fraction, the answer would be 2. If it is written in the book as 48÷2(9+3), then the answer should be 2. If the problem is written as a fraction (a numerator and a denominator with a line in between) and the entire "2(9+3)" is in the denominator, the answer should be 2. Without seeing the book the original problem was written in, I would guess it is one of those two options, both giving 2 as the answer.

Regards,
The Mathway Team

They must get hit with 10,000 emails a day about this shit. But this is great. Reinforces what most have said from the beginning that 2(9+3) is the denominator because its after the ÷. No surprises here.

@ tutoring. Wolfram Alpha, Matlab, SASS do corporate, government, and international "tutoring". I guess that doesn't trump Mathway's personal tutoring.

You're the perfect example of why blacks don't succeed in this world. Blacks just aren't humble enough, and most are arrogant without reason. Live up to your user-name homes. The wise aren't arrogant. The wise are open and susceptible to learning. You can't be wise by being a know it all.. You were wrong. Admit it and move on. The world won't end.

 

[wiZe]

you ignoring the second part of my statement shows that you can't be mature and admit you were wrong. Good luck with that attitude in life

Hold up, playa. This attitude has gotten me a job as a quantitative analyst on one of the worlds largest commodities exchanges, programmer for weight and balance software used on airplanes, systems analyst gigs, teaching at a juco, etc. so it hasn't stopped me so far. What quant positions have u held?

 

[melonpecan]

Look man, no need for insults patna. I guess if you're wrong about any subject in life, then others have the right to call you dumb...so are you saying that parenthesis supercedes the division theory.

(48/2)(9+3)

Or does this still equal 2?

Now you're just being a jackass.

look at how he solves the equation. forget about programming it into a calculator.

Basically.