Mathemathical question..

[W3Theory || Peter]

division is just like multiplying a number, so when it said divide by 2 that pretty much multiple by .5. So you still will get 9

[Spudinski]

Answer is, and always will be 1.

Sums between () comes first, then multiplication, then division.

x = 6 / 2 (1 + 2)

x = 6 / (2.3)

x = 6 / (6)

x = 1

[Zeggy]

Division is just multiplication by a fraction, the precedence of multiplication and division doesn't affect the answer (and multiplication doesn't have priority over division, they are both equal).

I refer you to my drawings :D

http://i.imgur.com/uzhA8.png

http://i.imgur.com/D509P.png

The equation is changed so there are no divisions (but it's still the same equation!), just multiplications. Once that happens, it doesn't matter which terms you multiply first, the answer is always 9.

[bluegman991]

if you still think the answer is 1 you obvioulsy need to go back to algebra 1 that is the exact class where you learn this stuff

i have even asked high school and college math teachers they all agree the answer is none other than 9

6/2(1+2)

6/2(3) <---- 1 is added to 2 first because it is inside of the brackets

6/2*3 <------- brackets can now be removed since the operation inside of them has been done (they no longer serve any purpose and have no say in what goes next)

3*3 <-------- 6 is divided by 2 because multiplication and division are equal so what ever comes first is done first

9 <------ and the outcome is nine

even php know the answer

$answer=6/2*(1+2);
echo $answer;

[Dominion]

Actually adding the * changes the sum... you are basically now saying (6/2)*(1+2)... That was the point of my last post, whoever put this question up originally picked something that can be misinterpreted on purpose... was kind of the point.

[bluegman991]

puting the star up does not change the sum at all

like i said algebra 1 ;)

the star is only added so php doesnt throw an error

Edited May 3, 2011 by bluegman991

[Zeggy]

I showed that multiplication by juxtaposition still gives the answer as 9 in my previous post! Whether the * is added or not, it's alwaaays 9.

[Dominion]

I am not arguing about the answer... I said why calculators (and for that matter people) give different answers. Adding * makes it read the line correctly/ incorrectly depending what the original sum was supposed to be. The sum should be written as one of the following -

6/2*(1+2) or 6/(2(1+2))

Try putting the original one into php... won't read it correctly... That just goes to show, computers (calculators are just computers...) read things differently depending on what you type. Even if the meaning is the same. Maybe my original answer to that one should have been phrased better.

That was the point, and still is the point as to why this sum is so frustrating. Whoever typed it probably realized that.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Dominion

[Nickson]

What zeggy said.

Also if you agree that brackets come first. it just becomes (3), brackets around a 3 have no purpose at all, but if you remove those you HAVE to write the multiplication sign, else you could leave it out. Now take this into account and your equation becomes 6 / 2 * 3 ...

Now also, I have no clue at all why you guys go from 2(1+2) to (2x3) all of a sudden. brackets just don't jump terms...

If you had done 2(1+2) to (2+4) to 6 I could understand, since 2(1a+2a) =6a, however, in this case you forgot to work out the brackets first as it's possible.

How you write it doesn't matter, 6/2*(1+2) is just the full form of 6/2(1+2), there "*" is optional here, which you all should know. Of course you need to be careful with what you type into your little machine, you don't type just anything in it as you write it as that simple won't work all the time. If you just type in 2 + 2 * 2 in a normal calculator, you'll get 8 too as it doesn't respect the order of operations, it just does calculation for calculation based on what you type into it, while with the correct rules, it should just give you a 6 ;)

Anyways, it's always and only 9 :P