A maths problem that seems easy at first glance has baffled the internet, as even mathematicians give the wrong answer. The problem was posted on Twitter by @PicturesFolder, and it has sparked a heated debate among users. The problem is 8 / 2 (2+2) = ?, and the question is “What is the correct answer?” The tweet also shows two opposite opinions. A user named “Jake Gyllenhaal” wrote: “I attended three arithmetic classes, I got 16”. Another user, Lauren Williams, replied: “I have two maths degrees, the answer is 1”.
The Confusion Over the Order of Operations
The reason why this problem is so confusing is that different people use different rules to determine the order of operations, or the sequence of calculations that should be performed in a mathematical expression. Some people use the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction), which means that the operations should be done in that order, from left to right. Others use the acronym BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction), which means the same thing, but with different names for parentheses and exponents.
However, both of these rules are incomplete, as they do not specify what to do when there are two operations of the same rank, such as multiplication and division, or addition and subtraction. In that case, the correct rule is to do the operations from left to right, regardless of their rank. This is also known as the left-to-right rule, or the horizontal rule.
The Correct Answer Is 16
Using the correct rule, the problem can be solved as follows:
8 / 2 (2+2) = ?
First, we do the operation in parentheses, which is 2+2=4.
8 / 2 (4) = ?
Then, we do the division, which is 8 / 2 = 4.
4 (4) = ?
Finally, we do the multiplication, which is 4 x 4 = 16.
16 = ?
Therefore, the correct answer is 16.
The Common Mistakes
Many people make the mistake of doing the multiplication before the division, because they think that multiplication has a higher priority than division. This is wrong, because multiplication and division have the same rank, and should be done from left to right. For example, some people do this:
8 / 2 (2+2) = ?
8 / 2 x 4 = ?
4 x 4 = 16
16 / 2 = 8
8 = ?
This is incorrect, because they divided 16 by 2 instead of 8 by 2.
Another common mistake is to distribute the division over the parentheses, which means to divide each term inside the parentheses by the same number. This is also wrong, because the division only applies to the first term, not the whole parentheses. For example, some people do this:
8 / 2 (2+2) = ?
8 / (2 x 2 + 2 x 2) = ?
8 / (4 + 4) = ?
8 / 8 = 1
1 = ?
This is incorrect, because they divided 8 by 4 + 4 instead of 2 x 4.
The Lesson to Learn
This problem shows that maths can be tricky, and that we need to be careful and precise when we apply the rules of arithmetic. It also shows that we should not blindly trust the opinions of others, even if they claim to be experts or have degrees. We should always check the logic and the evidence behind their claims, and verify the results for ourselves. Maths is not a matter of opinion, but a matter of fact. And the fact is that the correct answer to this problem is 16.
