Math problem that is driving the Internet crazy
August 3, 2019 at 2:09 am
(This post was last modified: August 3, 2019 at 2:17 am by GrandizerII.)
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
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
