Math question

[NFLDERS]

This question was posted on a site stating the answer would be surprising, but I didn't read further to get the answer. The question was as shown, my initial answer was 1, but my final is 4?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

4

 

[amcnj]

I also think 4, since multiplication and division have the same level of precedence, and there are no parentheses, I would just proceed from left to right, step by step.

 

[Mommb]

Assuming x means multiplication, the most reasonable answer is 4, for the reasons amcnj gave above. The standard convention when no grouping symbols are used is to perform multiplication and division in order from left to right.

If there were a situation attached to the expression such as “2 groups of 3 cookies are shared equally among 3 groups of 2 people. How many cookies does each person get?”, the answer could be 1.

 

[_19disnA]

4

 

[GAN]

It’s 4

 

[disykat]

Yep. I've always thought PEMDAS should be written PE/MD/AS to avoid confusion. When I've taught it (not often since I was mostly primary grades) I've written it out that way while introducing it along with left/right arrows over MD and AS.

 

[neverlandsky]

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
Order of operations: Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

I got 1 since multiplication comes before division in the problem.

 

[SirDuff]

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
Order of operations: Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

I got 1 since multiplication comes before division in the problem.

Weird. Not how I was taught (or kids are currently taught here):

1) We called it BEDMAS (so the word division comes before multiplication)
2) As a PP noted above, DM are equal (and AS are equal)

ETA: Everything that I can find says that, with PEMDAS, it is still the fact that division and multiplication are equal (as are addition and subtraction):

https://blog.prepscholar.com/pemdas-meaning-rule
https://byjus.com/maths/pemdas/
https://www.mathsisfun.com/operation-order-pemdas.html

 

[TCRAIG]

Yeah - 2x3=6 6divided by 3=2 and then 2x2=4…but they really should have used parentheses…but since they didn’t - you just go in order left to right.

 

[Dan Murphy]

4

 

[Meriweather]

4

 

[Travel60]

If it's only multiplication and division, order doesn't matter. Do it front to back, start in the middle and work out or whatever. It's 4.

When there's addition and subtraction in the mix you do multiplication and division first then addition and subtraction unless parentheses indicate something else.

 

[LilyWDW]

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
Order of operations: Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

I got 1 since multiplication comes before division in the problem.

Multiplication and division hold equal weight (as does addition and subtraction).

Since there are no parentheses, you would do it in order left to right.

The answer is 4.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I was a straight-A student through all four years of high school until I had to take algebra and had the meanest teacher on Earth. Algebra was difficult for me and when I asked the teacher for help, she said she was only going to explain the problems once. Because of her, I almost did not graduate, but she passed me with a D. To this day I hate math; but I do understand how the answer is 4 after reading all of the posts.

 

[jimmymc]

The answer is that it's intentionally poorly written. The last time I used a divide symbol like that was in 6th grade, and for good reason. But based on order of operations, the answer is 4.

 

[Kitty 34]

I subbed many long term Math class which taught the children PEMDAS

PEMDAS:

parenthesis
exponents
multiplication
Division
"arithmetic"
subtraction.

In that order when dealing with long equations

So going on that my answer is 1.


Hi Jane, nice to see you btw.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If it's only multiplication and division, order doesn't matter. Do it front to back, start in the middle and work out or whatever.

No. Because you can end up with 1 doing it willy nilly. If it were ALL multiplication, you would be correct.

 

[sam_gordon]

I subbed many long term Math class which taught the children PEMDAS

PEMDAS:

parenthesis
exponents
multiplication
Division
"arithmetic"
subtraction.

In that order when dealing with long equations

So going on that my answer is 1.


Hi Jane, nice to see you btw.

Except it can also be said as PEDMAS. The division/multiplication are the "same" level as is the addition/subtraction. That's why the correct answer is 4.

To properly get to 1, the equation should be written (2x3)/(3x2).

A spreadsheet program will show you also...




As will a calculator.

 

[NFLDERS]

I subbed many long term Math class which taught the children PEMDAS

PEMDAS:

parenthesis
exponents
multiplication
Division
"arithmetic"
subtraction.

In that order when dealing with long equations

So going on that my answer is 1.


Hi Jane, nice to see you btw.

Nice to see you too Kitty.