Wow

[edicehouse]

I am sitting here messing with my phone on facebook, and the "If you are a genius you can solve this" came up.

The equation is 6/2(1+2)

The answer is 9, however I love the comments the most.

We have things such as The answer is 1 and if you got anything else you are stupid and need to go back to first grade. Often the grammar is pretty bad when someone is calling someone stupid. I love it.

I put up you can just type the equation into google and get the answer.

 

[duncsuss]

Every time I read the comments under these quizzes or news stories, I resolve never to do it again -- but like a slow-motion train wreck, I can't tear my eyes away.

I always regret not having the will-power to simply move on to the next item without lifting the lid and peeking into the ugly mess of commentary.

 

[stonepecker]

That is like when I receive a check to my business made out to "......... CEMETARY LETTERING"

When in doubt I always use google and look up a spelling. Hell, I still keep several dictionaries by my computers. People are just to damn lazy at times.

 

[KenV]

I remember "my dear aunt sally".

The order established is multiply, then divide, then add, then subtract.

And the answer per math rules is 9. (Dividing 6 by 2 is the critical order)

 

[mg_dreyer]

I hate to differ with you and draw attention to this because I promise you this will get drawn out but - if the problem is written as above the answer is 1. You are missing the multiplication symbol between 6/2*(1+2) which is 9.

Multiple Divide Add Subtract

The first step is the multiplication:
By distributive property of math you would carry out the 2(1+2) to (2+4) which is 6 - entitled to add them based on the parenthesis - which trump MDAS.

Then divide 6/6 = 1.

Not having the multiplication symbol implies the 2(1+2) is the divisor. The dividend is still the 6.
By having the symbol * you now rightfully apply MDAS and get 6/2 * (1+2) = 3 * 3.

Your question is worded incorrectly and as such you get the wrong answer. As a check I put it in Excel and it indeed suggested the need for the "*".

 

[Bill in Buena Park]

Interesting, I must have learned the "new math" somewhere along the way, because I learned the order of operations as "PMDAS", the P standing for "powers and parentheses" first. I was also taught that 2x or 2(x) always implied multiplication, without the need for the explicit operator.

 

[Edgar]

And I maintain that multiply & divide have the same priority and are performed in the order written unless nested parentheses override. Same for add & subtract.

With an implied multiplication in this equation, I agree that 9 is the answer.

Just my $.02

 

[duncsuss]

See, here I go breaking my resolution again ... :biggrin:

The correct answer, of course, is not to write it in a way that can be misinterpreted. One could write it as

      6
----------
2 ( 1 + 2 )

or as

 6
--- ( 1 + 2 )
 2

Neither of these is ambiguous. Nor are 6/(2(1+2)) or (6/2)(1+2).

 

[Brian G]

Order of operations for the multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction is from left to right after parentheses and powers.

Do the parentheses first. (1 + 2) = 3

Do the division second. 6/2 = 3

Do the multiplication third. 3 × 3 = 9

 

[tomas]

I borrowed the following from: http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.order.operations.html

I will try to say this using proper grammar, spelling, and no expletives. According to the Order of Operations, the way the question is written the correct answer is 1. However, if you add the implied multiplication sign, the correct answer is 9. That said, after over 30 years of computer programming, I would have inserted the multiplication sign and received the correct answer of 9.

BTW: I had an English Professor who insisted that poor spelling is a sign of high intelligence. I have embraced this whole heartedly.

"To remember the conventional order of operations, you can think of

PEMDAS
(You might remember this as "Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally.")1

Parentheses
Exponents
Multiplication and Division
Addition and Subtraction
This means that you should do what is possible within parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division (from left to right), and then addition and subtraction (from left to right). If parentheses are enclosed within other parentheses, work from the inside out."

 

[Mr Vic]

Don't make me take of my shoes!