You just confused me....

 

Sure do and wonder of it's application here. I hate the fact that I don't have an actual divide symbol (the line with a dot above and below). Using the distributive property the answer would be 2 unless it was written:

48 (divide symbol) 2 x (9+3) in which case the answer would go back to the 288. Truthfully the way you have written it could be interpreted as 48 over the rest of the equation which also gives the answer of 2.

 

I always remembered it as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.. or Prenthesis', exponents, multiplication, divide, add, subtract. The answer is 2.

 

Well heck, I'm just a country lawyer, but I get 2 as the answer.

 

Partially correct other than that of do in order from left to right:

Rule 1: First perform any calculations inside parentheses.
Rule 2: Next perform all multiplications and divisions, working from left to right.
Rule 3: Lastly, perform all additions and subtractions, working from left to right

I dont think the equation would ever be written this way to begin with. They would use the x symbol or the (actual divide symbol) and it would be easier to understand if they mean 48 over 2 times (9+3) or 48 divided by 2 times (9+3)

 

I'm an ed major but tey don't teach us this for elementary. Math was my strong subject but found this on a forum I'm on and yea still no agreement.

I don't have a divide symbol unless I copy and paste from an online page either on my cell which made typing this thing a ton more irritating lol.

 

Okay found my damn symbol So with that being said lets write the equation the correct way:

48 ÷ 2 x (9+3)=288
48 ÷ 2(9+3)= 2

Case Closed

 

I don't do math........ EVER!

 

I answered 2 because I assumed (without reading all the other answers that the problems was:

48
2(9+3)

 

its a fraction. 48/24. the answer is 2.