Thread: 6/2(1+2) =

It's definitely BIMDAS all the way. 9 is the answer you're looking for.

Unless you were looking to just agree with your other half for a quiet life, then the answer is one.

Originally Posted by Eevo

you need to expand the brackets first.

if (1+2) was on the top line, it should be written

6(1+2)/2

Please explain more, what do you mean by expand? isnt doing the equation inside the bracket the first thing??

there is no top line??? and why are you saying if there was, it should be written in a single line??

My you beaut Hewlett Packard calculator says the answer is 9

Originally Posted by uninformed

Please explain more, what do you mean by expand? isnt doing the equation inside the bracket the first thing??

i was taught at uni to expand the brackets first
and btw, a question should never be written like this due to its ambiguity.




Some people read the equation as:

(6÷2)(1+2) in which case the answer is 9.

Some read the equation as:

6÷(2(1+2)) in which case the answer is 1.

Originally Posted by uninformed

Bushie, you have added extra brackets which change the whole equation....as it stands from the original, id be going with 9

my original work was 9. I added the brackets to show how others may interpret it especially if it was hand written and the 2(1+2) had been written below the divisor bar.

Martyn

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


or



6
-- (1+2)
2

the 2 is "attached" to the (2+1)
and the brackets must be expanded first.
expanding does not remove the brackets.


brackets outrank division
The general consensus among "math" people is that "multiplication by juxtaposition" (that is, multiplying by just putting things next to each other (like a bracket), rather than using the "×" sign) indicates that the juxtaposed values must be multiplied together before processing other operations

Originally Posted by Eevo

[snip]

Some read the equation as:

6÷(2(1+2)) in which case the answer is 1.

That's how I read and answered it. (not that means anything )