In 2019, a user shared a photo on Twitter featuring a math problem that later sparked widespread debate across social media platforms: 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2. The controversy revolved around conflicting interpretations of the order of operations. Here’s the step-by-step resolution:
Problem: 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2)
Solution:
- Resolve parentheses first:
Compute the expression inside the brackets:
.
The equation now becomes:
. - Perform division and multiplication left to right:
- Start with.
- Substitute back into the equation:.
- Final multiplication:.
Answer:
Following standard arithmetic rules (PEMDAS/BODMAS), the solution tois 16.
The confusion arose from ambiguous notation, as the lack of an explicit multiplication symbol (e.g.,) led some to incorrectly prioritize multiplyingbybefore dividingby.