48÷2(9+3) = ????

[Fuse]

I know this has been going around, but solve it...
There is one right answer. 2 or 288?

I wouldn't use a calculator.

[Balance]

My first instinct when I saw this equation was 2, but it's been so long.  Now I feel old.  
On a side note, for some reason if you try doing this on the calculator that comes with Windows it'll refuse to put the 2 in the equation.

[Eroz]

Interesting.... Today I learned that the TI-85 has a different order of operations then the rest of the TI line. It runs the implied multiplication before the parentheses.

[Da6onet]

Order of Operations

1. Calculations must be done from left to right.

2. Calculations in brackets (parenthesis) are done first. When you have more than one set of brackets, do the inner brackets first.

3. Exponents (or radicals) must be done next.

4. Multiply and divide in the order the operations occur.

5. Add and subtract in the order the operations occur.

So 288.

[Anamodiel]

Order of Operations:

Please - Parenthesis
Excuse - Exponents
My - Multiplication
Dear - Division
Aunt - Addition
Sally - Subtraction

The answer is 2.

48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
48÷24
2

EDIT: hahahahah I posted at almost the exact same time as Dagonet. I don't know much about Math. This is just what I would have done.

EDIT 2: I see my problem. The 12 alone in parenthesis doesn't mean you multiply that first.

48÷2(9+3)
48÷2*12
24*12
288

[Fuse]

Please - Parenthesis
Excuse - Exponents
My - Multiplication
Dear - Division
Aunt - Addition
Sally - Subtraction

Most of the people who say two use this - but they forget that multiplication and division have the same weight, therefore must be solved left to right.

[Keeloth]

Yes, the 12 in parenthesis is where people go wrong.  At that point, you can actually drop the parenthesis and express the problem as
48÷2*12
like Ana did in his second run through.  Note how it's the older version of the calculation that gets the wrong answer.

On an amusing side note, I input the problem as shown in the pics above into my trusty, rusty TI-83(Plus!) and got 288.  Guess that was an order of operations bug that crept into the TI-85

[Adad]

I can't believe this is a thread...go back to third grade if you questioned this

[Lithium]

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=+48%C3%B72%289%2B3%29

All this could have been avoided by adding another set of parenthesis. So whoever wrote this is the real idiot!

[Manic Velocity]

The correct answer is "I graduated high school so that I would never again have to concern myself with this shit".

[Wind]

It's obviously both!

[victoriah]

i like wind's answer
what bothers me is that if it was
48/2(x+y)
i would want to FOIL first

[Anathamas]

I'm gonna stay with my squad leader here. Get that silly arithmetic out of my house!

[Dration]

I went to public school. Ad Astra says eff that apparently. I stick to my Order on this one.

[Da6onet]

I'm sorry, blame my OCD.

The correct answer is "I graduated from high school so that I would never again have to concern myself with this shit".

Fixed

I like wind's answer
what bothers me is that if it was
48/2(x+y)
I would want to FOIL first

FOIL applies to multiplying two binomials. In your expression 48/2 is a constant term.