Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 28, 2024, 9:39 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
#1
Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
What is the correct answer to:

8 divided by 2(2+2)

Is it 1? Or is it 16?

At first, I said 1, but then I looked at it again and reckoned it's actually 16. But it could be 1, though ... huh?

Then I realized the trick here is that parenthesis, should we take care of that parenthesis first (and then have 1 as the answer), or should we treat it as a multiplication and hence the answer should be 16.

I think the answer has to be 16, but if so, then PEDMAS guideline would be a little misleading.

Ok, so here's why I think the answer is 16:

Before anything else, let's rephrase the problem a little so it's clearer what the answer should be later:

8 divided by 2 times (2 + 2)

First take care of parentheses:

8 divided by 2 times (4)

becomes

8 divided by 2 times 4

And then we have multiplication and division left, same level of precedence, so we start left to right

8 divided 2 = 4, and 4 times 4 = 16
Reply
#2
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
The original rule says the answer is 1. (order of precedence) but apparently modern maths uses slightly different rules.
Lots of stuff on the net about this.
No God, No fear.
Know God, Know fear.
Reply
#3
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
Its not a math problem at all, its very simple 3rd graders math.
The real problem is that the equation is presented in an ambigious way. We have math symbols for a reason.

If the originator would have bothered to specify the problem, it wouldnt be a problem at all.

#1 8/(2*(2+2))=1
#2 8/2*(2+2)=16

Now, what was the original problem? #1 or #2?
Cetero censeo religionem delendam esse
Reply
#4
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
These Maths problems are deliberately ambiguous so people argue about it and the meme goes viral. e.g . memes consisting of multiple choice questions, with each option using different icons for each value and asking you which is the correct answer.
Reply
#5
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
It's definitely blue and gold.




Reply
#6
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
(August 3, 2019 at 2:53 am)Deesse23 Wrote: Its not a math problem at all, its very simple 3rd graders math.
The real problem is that the equation is presented in an ambigious way. We have math symbols for a reason.

If the originator would have bothered to specify the problem, it wouldnt be a problem at all.

#1 8/(2*(2+2))=1
#2 8/2*(2+2)=16

Now, what was the original problem? #1 or #2?

You may have a point actually.

For me, when it comes to questions like this, my rule of thumb is to never assume that which is not explicitly shown or is not assumed by convention. Sort of like the maths version of the principles of parsimony. As such, #1 would be an incorrect "rephrasing" of the original question as it assumes extra parentheses that aren't in the original.
Reply
#7
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
The answer is actually 42.
Reply
#8
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
Just realized there's another rule that some people use instead which is BODMAS which now clearly explains the difference in answer here.

Edit: scratch that, BODMAS is essentially the same as PEDMAS

So no I'm sticking with 16 as the correct answer by convention
Reply
#9
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
(August 3, 2019 at 3:40 am)Mathilda Wrote: These Maths problems are deliberately ambiguous so people argue about it and the meme goes viral. e.g . memes consisting of multiple choice questions, with each option using different icons for each value and asking you which is the correct answer.

Ok after much researching, I'm going to probably be annoying here and argue that, while the question could have been worded better, it is not [by modern convention] ambiguous.

This isn't like the blue vs good dress thingy, rather this is more like a common error that lots of people (including very smart people) make by implicitly adding an extra rule to their approach (like otherwise smart people who consistently write its instead of it's and vice versa)

Ignoramus is correct, though. Back in the old days (before any of us were born) the answer would've been 1. Today the answer is 16.
Reply
#10
RE: Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
I will add a convention, when in doubt, mathematical notation takes precedence over descriptive notation.

“8 divided by 2(2+2)” is 8 divided by the quantity of (2(2+2))

Had it been intended for the division to have the same precedence as the multiplication, it should have given as “8 divided by 2 times (2X2)”
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Math game Fake Messiah 47 3034 October 14, 2023 at 4:38 pm
Last Post: GrandizerII
  [Serious] What are your overall opinions on people who are idiots in math? Gentle_Idiot 41 5142 December 18, 2022 at 11:02 am
Last Post: polymath257
  I hate math Woah0 5 1013 September 25, 2022 at 5:10 am
Last Post: Leonardo17
  Explain the Math - Must Be Rocket Scientist to Participate. T0 Th3 M4X 13 1884 December 3, 2018 at 7:21 am
Last Post: GrandizerII
  Can you cut a cake fairly to solve this middle school math problem? Whateverist 82 13613 August 7, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Last Post: Joods
  Why Do You Like Math? Kernel Sohcahtoa 33 5830 February 5, 2017 at 6:49 pm
Last Post: bennyboy
  Great math interaction site for "beginners" (algebra, geometry, even calculus) GrandizerII 3 1442 October 20, 2016 at 10:48 pm
Last Post: Jehanne
  Can you solve this 6th grade math problem? pocaracas 52 10715 August 15, 2016 at 10:03 am
Last Post: wiploc
  Math Educations: who needs it, how much and when? Whateverist 49 13568 February 28, 2016 at 6:16 pm
Last Post: Chas
  Math suggestions Heat 25 5318 January 3, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Last Post: SteelCurtain



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)