Quote:
Originally Posted by wdfifteen
One SHOULD interpret the equation in the conventional way. The convention used in EVERY math course, EVERY physics course, and EVERY engineering course I (or anyone else) has ever taken is that you do the implied multiplication or division on a parenthetical term immediately after you perform the work inside the parenthesis.
To an engineer the intent of the calculation 48/2*9+3 is ambiguous. The intent of 48/2(9+3) is clear as a bell. Everything to the left of the division sign is in the numerator, everything to the right is in the denominator.
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Your logic is based on intent, while my logic is based on the rules set forth in the mathematical order of operations.
So you are saying that the multiplication sign between the 2 and (9+3) takes precidence over the division sign between the 48 and 2. But that violates the order of operations (left to right rule)
Thus, I see it as "48 2nds" takes precidence over the 2(9+3).
If the equation were: 24(9+3) then the answer is clearly 288.
48/2 is another way of representing 24. Thus, I see the equation as:
48
--- (9+3)
2
-Z-man.