Math problem debate?

College Confidential Community
1

<p>So there’s this big debate going on on Facebook about what the answer to a seemingly very simple math problem is. So of course I decide to ask the highly esteemed community of CC what you think the answer is, and to see if it you guys think it’s even debatable. The problem is : </p>

<p>6÷2(1+2)=?</p>

<p>A. 1
B. 9</p>

<p>( This may seem surprisingly simple to you guys, but the question has 1,459,805 answers and about 60,000 comments of people debating 1 vs 9 so I had to see what you guys thought.)</p>

<p>Thanks (:</p>

2

<p>It’s 9. No debate.
But this “clever” question just depends on an unused aspect of the order of oppressions. Because multiplication and division are equivalent in priority, we arbitrarily do them left to right. Big f’in deal.
To all those who think this is a “got’cha, look how smart I am” type problem, please go back to high school. A part of you obviously never left.
(not directed at you OP, just facebook idiots).</p>

3

<p>Agreed. I chose 9 also. I don’t even see how it’s even remotely difficult or confusing and I’m not good at math. But yea PEMDAS is equal to PEDMAS .</p>

4

<p>I got 9 but people were like your wrong it just depends how you do it. Which you do it from left to right after you add 1 and 2.</p>

5

<p>Umm,the answer is 9.I don’t see why there is a debate.The “BODMAS” rule solves this “problem” easily.I believe that the people engaging in “fierce” debate over this must be terrible at math anyway.</p>

6

<p>This problem is really just based on rules and conventions. </p>

<p>At least the “Monty Hall” problem needs some thought, the gist of it without some other qualifiers is:
"You’re in a game show and you have to pick one of three doors. Behind one door, at random, is a million bucks, and behind the others, a buck each. You pick door A, and the host, who knows what’s behind the doors, always opens another one which contains a buck - say B. He then asks if you want to stick with A or change to C. And the question is whether it’s to your advantage or disadvantage to change or does it not matter.</p>

7

<p>No. The answer is 1.
6÷2*(1+2)=9.
6÷2(1+2)=1.
The Distributive Property clearly shows that the 2(1+2) part is treated as a whole. So it is actually 6/(2(1+2))</p>

<p>I think whoever comes up with this problem is a smart@ss who gets satisfaction for coming up with weirdo questions. The question should have been clarified to 6÷2*(1+2)=1. Most of the smart people would not get it without knowing the math rule. If you really want a challenging problem which really makes you think, you should check this problem out! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/1139611-logical-problem.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/1139611-logical-problem.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>The answer is 9 and only 9 because convention explicitly states that there is only one correct way to interpret it.</p>

<p>The distributive property isn’t an operation, it’s a property of multiplication. Multiplication and division don’t take precedence over the other, and are read left to right. 6÷2*(1+2) is the same as 6÷2(1+2).</p>

<p>The distributive property applies in that 6/2 = 3, and 3(1+2) = 3 + 6 = 9.</p>