Here’s the challenge. In the picture below, at the top, you see a math problem and two possible answers. Which one do you think is right? And how did you figure it out?
Take your time to think and find the correct solution. Done? You can check below if you chose the right number!
ANSWER
The correct answer is 1.
Why is 1 the correct answer?
Based on the Order of Operations (BODMAS in the UK or PEMDAS in the US), when dealing with brackets/parentheses, it means not only solving what’s inside but also any factors directly attached to them.
In the original question, without a multiplication symbol, the factor outside the brackets should be calculated as part of the brackets/parentheses step, not the later multiplication/division step (going left – to – right). This “implicit multiplication” (multiplication by juxtaposition) has a higher priority than regular multiplication.
48 ÷ 8(14 – 8)
= 48 ÷ 8(6)
= 48 ÷ 48
= 1
Again, the correct answer is 1. The 8 is directly attached to (14 – 8) and must be calculated as part of that term in the equation.
Wrong Answer
Here’s the wrong way, even though it correctly solved what’s inside the brackets first:
48 ÷ 8(14 – 8)
= 48 ÷ 8(6)
= 48 ÷ 8 x 6
= 6 x 6
= 36
You might wonder why this is wrong. The reason is that 8(6) is not the same as 8 x 6, even if both equal 48.
Did you pick the correct number? Congratulations!