30÷2(2+3)÷5=?

Work out the answer for the above equation.

……….
Now what did you get?

……….
0.6? 15? Neither?

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Now here’s the interesting thing. It is possible to get both numeral answers, depending on how you did it.

Remember the BODMAS rule we learnt in school?

B: Brackets first
O: Orders (i.e. Powers and Square Roots etc.)
DM: Division and Multiplication (left-to-right)
AS: Addition and Subtraction (left-to-right)

You would definitely have used this method to solve the above equation, if you actually worked it out on paper rather than using a calculator. But to get both answers, it really just depends on how you interpret the BODMAS rule.

1) Answer: 0.6
30÷2(2+3)÷5=?
=> 30÷2(5)÷5 (B)
=> 30÷10÷5 (B)
=> 0.6 (D left-to-right)

2) Answer: 15
30÷2(2+3)÷5=?
=> 30÷2(5)÷5 (B)
=> 30÷2x5÷5 (DM left-to-right since 2(5)=2x5)
=> 15

So the crucial point here is, how do you interpret the BODMAS rule?

Do you derive the result of 2(5) using the bracket rule or just translate it to 2x5 since we were taught that brackets mean multiplication? 

Which is right and which is wrong? Which method did you use?

Interesting isn’t it?

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I found this on Facebook and thought it’s nice to share it with everyone.

I read through the comments made by some people and came across this one I thought it’s really funny. This person rephrased the equation and made it into a word problem that goes like that:

”If the government is giving 30 dollars to 2 families of 2 adults and 3 children before taxing them 80%, how much would each member get? Still 15 bucks? Or 60 cents?”

Totally ROFLOL!

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HAPPY EASTEREVERYONE! STAY SAFE ALRIGHTS?