I got 96% in math 30 pure and 91% in math 31 and did 2 months in calculus then I dropped and came up north for work.

a/b(c+d) always been a/(bc+bd) and will always be that way.

Since 48 and 2 both can be divided by 2 so such an problem can be listed as ab/b(c+d)
Divide by b on top and bottom you'll end up with a/(c+d). What you're doing is you have ab/b(c+d) and dividing by b and changing it to a(c+d) that'* your mistake, and that'* the only way you'll end up with 288.

Calculators are human made, they are not god'* creations, everything can be wrong.

Unplug a keyboard off of an older computer with older windows and while starting up you'll have the message saying "keyboard not detected, press F8 to continue", well wtffff! How can the computer be wrong and say press F8 when there'* no keyboard? Point is nothing is perfect, and calculators do make mistakes.

Your so focused on proving your right, you miss the fact that you may be wrong, or right. There seems to be more then one way to deal with this formula, but you refuse to see that. You start this thread by insulting everyone that has a different answer then you, then keep doing it. So many wrong calcs out there, so many wrong web sites, so many wrong teachers, so many wrong people, but your right. The question is FLAWED!!! 48 divided by 2 is 24, 24 times 12 is 288, follow left to right. But you can keep your answer, I'm not trying to change your mind, and you wont change mine. My daughter has been tought the same way I was by different teachers. When I help her with her math, it will be as she is taught. You can't argue with a teacher. If you wish to get peoples opinions on a question like this, I suggest not starting off with a insult. I said right from the start, both are the answer. Right, and wrong.

My final answer is, ERROR

well i'm sorry if you took it personal, i was just trying to prove a point. maybe it wasnt the smartest thing to say you'll be stupid if you dont get it but didnt think some people on this forum could be so sensitive. it was more to add some sense of humor into the thread than to insult who thinks its 288 or 2

Regardless, to each his own
and once again, sorry for i "insulted" any of you people when i started this thread

I was not offended, but others might be. I know this formula, and I know the error. People tend to answer 2, calculators answer 288 most of the time. Math is black and white. There fore the formula should be written as.

48/(2(9+3))=2
48/2*(9+3)=288 Or (48/2)(9+3)=288

Hmmm, black and white? Here'* a "grey" one...if ½ of 5 = 3 and the same proportion holds, what is the value of 1/3 of 10 ?

I agree with Dan. My professor said the same thing. The notation is wrong.

Since I accidentally bumped this to the top anyway to vote while I was searching for another thread.....

Dan is correct.

I teach College Algebra and Calculus.

It can be read either way and both answers are correct, and there is no standard for the order, multiplication and division happens at the same time, just like addition and subtraction. It is bad form to not use parenthesis when writing it that way. I answered 2 because people normally write things (incorrectly) like that.

Pemdas

BEDMAS is also an acceptable acronym. Multiplication and division have the same priority. Generally speaking, if nothing else, you work left to right.

You can trust me, I know a thing or two about math....