What is 6÷2(1+2) = ? The Correct Answer Explained

Ah mathematics, the bane of my high school years... However recently I've come to enjoy the mental exercise.

Enjoy as well.

 

What about 2^2^0?

The video implies exponentiation is also left associative. It's not. Unlike division/multiplication it's actually right associative. That means most scientific calculators or programming languages evaluate 2^2^0 to 2 instead of 1.

It'd be interesting to see the responses you'd get on Facebook from this one.

 

9

 

Duh

 

I got 1, which means I'm pre-1917. Look, I may be ancient, but not that ancient.

 

Interesting. I believe going from the historical way to the new way was driven mainly by mechanical and electronic means of calculating. For instance, after doing a lot of math by hand, I would have figured it the historic way but Excel figures it the newer way.

 

9 or 1

Moral of the story...use parentheses
6/2(1+2) = ambiguity
6/(2(1+2)) = 1
(6/2)(1+2) = 9

This is especially true if you are a programmer. Different languages interpret 6/2(1+2) differently. Some will even give an error until the "*" used eg 6/2*(1+2); (6/2) * (1+2)

 

The rules don't require the parentheses (although, I agree the parentheses make it clearer).

6÷2(1+2) is not ambiguity. You do PEMDAS, and work left to right.
First you do the parentheses:
6÷2(3)
Then you work left to right
3(3)=9

 

This isn't old way versus new way. The rules didn't change.

 

Did you watch the video? And it was, like, supposed to be amusing.

 

I'm alive today and the answer is 1.

The problem is correctly written as

6
______
2*(1+2)

If it is to be solved using another method then the parentheses are required as in (6/2)*(1+2).

 

P;E; {M&D left to right}; {A&S left to right}
PEMDAS implies Multiplication precedes Division

We could always askamathematician...

http://www.askamathematician.com/20...-deal-with-this-orders-of-operation-business/

 

No, it's properly written as (6/2)(1+2). You interpret it wrong by saying 6/2(1+2)

 

6÷2(1+2)
6÷-2+3
6÷2=3

???

Lol, I have no idea what I am doing.

Edit: Well lol. Of course it is 1!

 

You have no clue do you?

 

My reply ("duh") indicated that "of course it's 9".

Duh.

Too busy trying to find a reason to argue?

 

I got 3.

6 / 2 = 3 (1 + 2 also = 3) so...

I don't know.

 

I see now 6/2 to the power of 1 + 2 giving you 9.
didn't see a squared sign anywhere in the equation.

It's 9 if 1 + 2 is squared.

or 3 if 1 + 2 is an equaliser.

 

... It's probably squared..

There's probably no such thing as an equaliser.

 

TROL, watch the video....

 

Parentheses first,
Multiplication and Division Second
Addition and Subtraction third

Operations on the same level go from left to right.

6/2(1+2)
6/2*3
3*3
9

 

I'd watch the video to check my answers. but where's the fun if I never tried to solve it first?

 

Well..................................


I got that it was 3 squared, but I didn't get how.

It turns out to be a lot more 'tedious' for use of a less vulgar word than I thought; with the correct answer to get 3 squared.
make (1 + 2) into x 3 (somehow) and your and then get 3 from 6/2 to make it 3 x 3 which... is 3 squared, which is 9.
When I was right, I wasn't.

 

I thought it was asking 3 to the power of 3, instead of 3 x 3, my mistake. but still 9.

 

google just said 3 to the power of 3 is 27...
I won't be sleeping tonight...