Troll Math

It's time to separate the nerds from the... not-nerds.

6÷2(1+2)=?

Is this a trick question?

9?

or is it "profit"?

I agree James...seems too easy not to be a trick.

Besides, knowing basic math doesn't make me a nerd! In high school I got tons of poon...while I was dreaming.

I'm not going to reveal the correct answer until more people vote. All I will say is that there is a 44%-56% split on facebook right now between hundreds of thousands of people. So apparently this is not such an easy question for half the population. It's a little sad isn't it?

6/2(1+2)=1


P.E.M.D.A.S = Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

Work in parenthesis first which would be 3. ex. 6/2(3)

Then multiply the number closest to it which would be 2*3 which =6. ex. 6/(6)

Then divide 6/6 which gives you 1.

In the order of operations (PEMDAS) you do multiplication and division left to right, which means that you end up with 6/2*3 = 3*3 = 9.

When referring to what's closest, the 2 is equally as near to the 6 as it is to the 3 (1 digit apart).

I suppose your reasoning would explain how people come to the answer of "1". I was curious about that.

I think the combination of Duff's and Grap's reasoning indicate what is actually going on. The way it is written is intentionally misleading:

it is written "6÷2(1+2)=?"

A. 6 ÷ [2(1+2)] = 1

B. [6 ÷ 2] * (1+2) = 9

C. 6 / [2(1+2)] = 1

C. [6 / 2] * (1+2) = 9

For starters, the equation, from what I can tell, is all squished together. When Grap used the "/" it became very clear what was going on. When you're scribbling down on paper you rarely ever use the division symbol "÷". There's a difference between what we process on a computer screen and what we see on a sheet of paper.
Imagine the proposed equation on an online homework system for a class. You would never see it the way it was written. Online homework nearly always adds brackets and parenthesis for clarification.

Also, Imagine someone reads to you the problem and you write it down per verbal instructions.

"6 divided by twice the sum of 1 and 2"

"6 / 2(1+2)"

PEMDAS

Order of operations is ALWAYS like this:
1st: Parenthesis
2nd: Exponents
3rd: Multiply / Divide
4th: Add / Subract

See, I told you the question is contentious. I'm 100% sure the answer is 9. According to standard order of operations, the problem should be solved like this:

Parentheses: (1+2) = 3 -> 6/2(3)

Multiplication and division left to right: 6/2 = 3 -> 3(3) = 9

One explanation I have seen by those who answer 1 is the idea that multiplication by juxtaposition - 2(3) - takes precedent over normal division, which is simply false. The other is that PEMDAS dictates multiplication before division, which is an easy mistake to make. Multiplication and division are in fact equal and decided by left to right order.

Others say that the question is ambiguous and needs to be clarified, but the whole point of having order of operations is to eliminate this ambiguity. Clarification between (6/2)(1+2) and 6/(2(1+2)) is not needed because the problem can be solved as it is with order of operations.

I know math majors who have gotten this wrong, so I'm not surprised that so many people say 1.

Oh ok I see, when I was tought order of operations, it was that you can do Multiplication and Division at the same time. But with this they contradict (or one relies on the other to finish its operation).

Interesting indeed. Never knew about the left to right with M/D.

EDIT: I'm taking Geometry atm, so i probably should have known this? Lol idk I don't pay attention in class

Yeah I was also unaware of the left to right.

Cool

tried putting it in google calculator. Spits out "9".

so...is this the answer?

Awesome!

Are you serious?

Five wrote:Are you serious?

That was helpful

yay I am not so bad in math then