Todays order of operations wake up question.....

Question

anonymous · Answer

$$6\div2\left( 1+2 \right)=$$

anonymous · Answer

$$6\div 2(1+2)\
6\div 2(3)\
3(3)\
9$$

anonymous · Answer

I came up with 1 as an answer, as did half of the class.  The other half got 9.  Are you not supposed to multiply the 2(1+2) before the division?

anonymous · Answer

Division and multiplication are done together, left to right. At least that's how I learned it way back when. I'm fairly certain everyone learned some variation of PEMDAS, and I just happened to be taught that MD and AS are done together, left  to right, on a "first come, first serve" basis.

I see how you could get 1 though. If your expression was written as a fraction, like
$$\frac{6}{2(1+2)},$$
then you would simplify the denominator completely first, then divide 6 by 6 and get 1. The way it's written as a fraction implies a set of parentheses around 2(1+2), which your question didn't have. Because of that, I'd change my answer to 1, but only if MD and AS are supposed to be done separately as M then D then A then S.

anonymous · Answer

Thanks!!