Math people, solve this argument for me

[bored]

As some of you have probably seen, one of those new Facebook apps where you can take polls is asking people the answer to this solution:

6 divided by 2(1+2)=?

Possible answers are 1 and 9. I can't find a division symbol on my keyboard, so... just imagine it in between the 6 and 2.

I have people very vehemently insisting to me that the answer is 9. Now, when I was in grade/middle school, they always had us use the PEMDAS order, which would have the answer be 1. To this point, I've gotten several condescending remarks about not trusting my education, and people straight up saying PEMDAS (parantheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction as the order to work out equations) isn't right.

I feel the whole thing is a little silly, but people are REALLY starting to annoy me over it.

 

[Kane52630]

[YT]ctr9ZfeyvXg[/YT]

 

[Speedball]

the division symbol is " / "
To solve this problem:

6/2(1+2) =

6/2(3) =

6/6 =

1

It's super basic math.

If it were 9, the equation would need to be:

(6/2)(1+2)

 

[chaseter]

The answer is 1. Who the hell thinks it is 9?

6/2(1+2) = 6/2(3) You have to multiply the ( ) first so = 6/6 = 1

IT IS NOT

6/2(3) = 3(3) = 9. Whoever told you that was correct is an idiot.

 

[bored]

THANK YOU. Btw, by division symbol, I meant this one:

 

[Speedball]

No, bored, you're not crazy and you're education is still trustworthy. It's the other people's education that I wouldn't trust. Or maybe they're just being trolls.

 

[Gotham Knight]

As some of you have probably seen, one of those new Facebook apps where you can take polls is asking people the answer to this solution:

6 divided by 2(1+2)=?

Possible answers are 1 and 9. I can't find a division symbol on my keyboard, so... just imagine it in between the 6 and 2.

I have people very vehemently insisting to me that the answer is 9. Now, when I was in grade/middle school, they always had us use the PEMDAS order, which would have the answer be 1. To this point, I've gotten several condescending remarks about not trusting my education, and people straight up saying PEMDAS (parantheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction as the order to work out equations) isn't right.

I feel the whole thing is a little silly, but people are REALLY starting to annoy me over it.

Who were you arguing with this question about?

 

[The Squirrel]

It's 1.

 

[Gotham Knight]

This thread is going to 200 pages. Oh and the answer is 9.

 

[Kane52630]

This thread is going to 200 pages.

And yet my answer reminds correct.

 

[bored]

Who were you arguing with this question about?

Just a bunch of friends over Facebook. I saw half the people who answered the poll say 9 (which, I'm sorry, is wrong), and I made some cheeky status update about it. And now a random assortment of people I know are arguing about it.

 

[Gotham Knight]

Just a bunch of friends over Facebook. I saw half the people who answered the poll say 9 (which, I'm sorry, is wrong), and I made some cheeky status update about it. And now a random assortment of people I know are arguing about it.

It's not hard. Which is why I'm shaking my head right now because I know this thread is headed towards 200 pages, because of misinformed people.

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

Don't deny it.

 

[The Squirrel]

I do deny it.

 

[Gotham Knight]

I do deny it.

Then you are a misinformed Squirrel.

 

[The Squirrel]

Then you are a misinformed Squirrel.

My A in College Algebra disagrees.

 

[Gotham Knight]

My A in College Algebra disagrees.

I'm just giving you a hard time man.

 

[The Squirrel]

I'm just joking around man.

Yeah, I know, lol. That's why I threw in the face.

 

[Gotham Knight]

Honestly I've seen this argument go back and forth on other message boards. And it just continues. No one ever gives a definitive answer. Nor can they seem to find one even on math websites.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

If people want to believe it is 9, then there is no point discussing it with them.

Instead, explain to them how the World is actually flat, globes and satellite images were created as a conspiracy and you have a packet of information proving it for $99.99.

 

[Mrh7448]

I think the mix up is this, now it's been awhile since I was learning this stuff but the way I was taught was BEDMAS - ( Brackets - Exponents - Division - Multiplication - Addition - Subtraction)

This is why they are coming up with 9.

6/2(1+2)=?

6/2(3)

3(3)=9

Even Wikipedia (for what it's worth) has BEDMAS/PEDMAS listed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEDMAS

So unless they changed things I'm going with 9

Also I believe that Multiplication and Division are of equal relevance so when it comes to the order of the equation you do whichever is first in this case the division and then the multiplication. However, if the brackets were before everything then you would do the multiplication first. Same with the Addition and Subtraction. They are interchangeable as they have are of equal importance.

 

[Erzengel]

I know they have a stupid real. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

Parenthesis, Exponential, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction

But then if the Division comes first you, you do that first.

I thought it was 1 too because I work with formulas. But it is 9.

 

[Bill]

The answer is 9. Multiplication and Division are the same rank (as are addition and subtraction) in the PEMDAS order so you do the equation left to right once you solve for the parenthesis. You're all taking the order literally for the acronym.

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

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Haha, it's 9. You'd think it was 1 if you did the problem quickly w/o thinking about order of operations

‎48÷2(9+3) caused an uproar on the internet a few weeks ago too.

 

[Ipodman]

Depends on how you write the equation, both 1 and 9 can be correct.

 

[Prison Mike]

I know they have a stupid real. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

Parenthesis, Exponential, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction

But then if the Division comes first you, you do that first.

I thought it was 1 too because I work with formulas. But it is 9.

They taught us Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally too. I always thought you had to do multiplication before division and addition before subtraction but I looked it up and you have to do them together. So yeah, the answer is 9.