RIDDLE: This math problem ignites passionate debates about the right answer!
“The riddle in a tweet was 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2), seems simple at first glance.”
However, upon solving the problem, people discovered that there was not one, but two possible answers.
This led to a deep divide in the participants’ opinions: some continued to believe that the correct answer should be 16, while others were convinced that the correct outcome should be 1.
A heated debate arose online among mathematicians about the correct method.
Content:
The Confusion
The problem started on Twitter when a user shared the sum and challenged his followers to find the solution together.
Soon the internet was flooded with diverse responses from people around the world, causing the virtual space to nearly burst at the seams with passion and debate.
But how could a simple comparison start such a heated debate?
To solve the problem it is necessary to understand the basic rule of mathematics known as the order of operations.
The PEMDAS rule is essential for correctly solving mathematical equations and understanding the correct order of operations.
- “brackets”
- E: Exponents (Exponents)
- MD: Multiplication and Division
- AS stands for Deduction and Addition in Dutch, which means that it includes both the subtraction and addition of numbers.
According to this rule, the operations inside the parentheses should be solved first, followed by exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, and finally addition and subtraction in the same way.
When tackling the math problem, it is important to keep this rule in mind:
- First calculate the sum inside the brackets. This gives us: 8 ÷ 2(4).
- Next, we divide 8 by 2 and multiply the result obtained by 4, which finally gives the number 16.
According to these steps, the correct answer to the problem should be 16, but as with many math problems, there is an alternative approach that can lead to a completely different result, making it important to carefully consider which method will be most accurate and effective in any particular situation.
An Alternative Interpretation
The alternative approach to the problem follows a different logic, where the equation is first multiplied by the number before it. This results in the following interpretation:
8 ÷ [2(4)].
In this case, the notation in parentheses is treated as a unit and the part in parentheses must be solved first. This changes the equation to: