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| Tom Quote | Reply | | order of operations posted on: 8/25/2002 1:43:00 AM Consider the expressions 18/3(2) and 18/2(3). <p> If you enter the expressions verbatim (without using the multiplication key) on an algebraic calculator, you'll get an answer of 3 for each. <p> In the order of operations, multiplication or division (like addition or subtraction) is evaluated from left to right, i.e. multiplication does not take precedence over division. Correct results are 12 and 27, respectively. Is there any justification for the calculator's whimsy? <p> See also <a href="http://www.sosmath.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=001988">S.O.S. forum</a> and <a href="http://math2.org/cgi-bin/msgbrd/read.pl?area=algetr&msg=21994">Math Message Board</a>. |
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Tom
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Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 1:54:31 AM Well, it said "HTML" so I typed html. Hopefully this will be more readable. Also, I checked the "Preview your post" box, but I didn't find any way to edit my message. Consider the expressions 18/3(2) and 18/2(3). If you enter the expressions verbatim (without using the multiplication key) on an algebraic calculator, you'll get an answer of 3 for each. In the order of operations, multiplication or division (like addition or subtraction) is evaluated from left to right, i.e. multiplication does not take precedence over division. Correct results are 12 and 27, respectively. Is there any justification for the calculator's whimsy? See also S.O.S. forum and Math Message Board. |
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tranquilium
Moderator Quote | Reply | This message was updated on 8/25/2002 3:26:36 AM by tranquilium |
Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 3:25:26 AM Hi Tom, You can delete the wrong message by pressing del on the left. Or you can just edit it. Thanks for posting by the way!  My first poster, I hope it gets more busy. Just needs some promotion.The way I see it is that it depends what logic you use. If you use arithmetic logic you will work from right to left. However, this expression uses brackets so that would suggest to me that this should be solved using algebraic logic. coefficiet(number) looks like an algebraic opperation to me. Yes, my graphics calculator agrees too and gives the result 3 for each. Thank you for posting here  I hope you come back. |
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Tom
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Re: Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 3:43:38 AM Have a look at order of operations. |
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tranquilium
Moderator Quote | Reply | |
Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 3:49:12 AM Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally I like that. So it suggests that we do the Parentheses first which would be 3(2) and 2(3) fistly which results in 6. Then 'My Dear' So that would be divide 18 by 6 which results in 3.
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Tom
Quote | Reply | This message was updated on 8/25/2002 11:19:20 AM by Tom |
Re: Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 11:05:20 AM Yes, the parentheses are evaluated first. That means we treat what is inside the parentheses as one number (I tried to type q u a n t i t y here, but the board software is censoring the t i t y part). It does not mean that we perform the multiplication first, e.g. 18/3(7-5) = 18/3*2 = 12 Try this in any computing environment (besides an algebraic calculator) and you'll get 12. Paste the expression into quickmath (which is powered by mathematica) for example. |
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tranquilium
Moderator Quote | Reply | This message was updated on 8/25/2002 11:28:25 AM by tranquilium |
Re: Re: Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 11:26:25 AM Hi Tom. I'll try it with quickmath as you say. Also, thanks for telling me about the censor. I'll have to take the bad language censor off. |
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tranquilium
Moderator Quote | Reply | |
Re: Re: Re: Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/25/2002 11:36:16 AM quantity quantity There that seems to have done it. |
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Soroban
Quote | Reply | |
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: order of operations
replied on: 8/26/2002 2:36:36 AM Oh-oh! Next they'll be discussing improper integrals and the latus rectum. *snicker* |
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