A viral math question that blocked the internet

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The beauty of math is that unlike other subjects like English or History, there is usually only one correct answer.

But this question has continued to confuse internet users ever since it went viral two years ago because there is not one, but two correct answers possible – and how you answer will depend on how well you’ve learned them. mathematics.

What is 8 ÷ 2 (2 + 2)?

Depending on which method you used to solve the question, your answer will be either one or 16 – and neither answer is incorrect.

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Mike Breen, head of public education at the American Mathematical Society, said your answer would depend on whether you learned math using the PEMDAS or BODMAS method.

He explained why your answer might be different when the confusing equation first went viral in 2019.

“The way it’s written is ambiguous. In math [sic], there are often ambiguities. Mathematicians try to make the rules as precise as possible, â€said Dr Breen Popular mechanics, according to The sun.

The PEMDAS method sees equations solved in the order of parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

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PEMDAS would see you first figure out what’s in the square brackets, then multiply before dividing last, which means your answer would be one.

But the BODMAS method means that you would solve the question this way instead: parentheses, orders, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction.

Following the BODMAS method, you would still work the parentheses first, but then divide before multiplying, which means your answer would be 16.

The PEMDAS method is more commonly used in the United States, while Great Britain and Australia tend to teach BODMAS theory.

So how did it go ?

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