What Is The Answer To This Math Problem?

Actually it's impossible to tell with ÷ or even a / if no parenthesis are used. According to the problem it could have a denominator of 2(9+3) or 2 depending on how you look at it. If / was used it should have been written as (48/2)(9+3) or 48/(2(9+3)). 48/2(9+3) has the same notation flaws as 48÷2(9+3) giving you two answers.

Not if the fraction is 48/2 which could very easily be legitimately argued.

The problem is its not clear if its (48/2)*((9+3)/1) or (48/(2(9+3)), exactly as galahd argued.


Ok look, I went and took a shower and thought about this. Simplest way I can make this. When changing from a fraction to a / or a ÷ sign you lose information. You can try to retain information by using appropriate parentheses, but especially in a case like this its impossible to know for sure what the original intent was. You can hem and haw and bluster that you know it, but its obviously a controversial enough problem that there is evidence that it isn't clear. If you still think you're right, good for you. Be careful of the calculator you are using during your next math test.

lmao

According to the math professors I have talked to, the correct answer is always 288 due to the fact that the correct order for any math problem is left to right, the entire problem is that the sign used for division in calculators is the ÷ sign, which is an improper item to use as it does not tell you anything. By the rules of math, both 2 and 288 are correct as no matter which way you go it could be correct depending on your use of that ÷ sign which makes it hard to tell which order it is to be divided. Basically, College professors with math degrees almost universally agree that if a techer gives you a problem like this, both answers are correct. Let the trolling of math teachers begin!!!

If we wanted to get technical we could say that ÷ is being used as a modulo and really have some fun :D

Edit: I fail, forgot modulo was %.