8/2(2+2) what do you come up with?

[jcgoldie]

75. Arbitrary

No I disagree. I do not know anything about "implicit multiplication" except to know that in this case it is wrong. I understand that its an assumption that people are making which you are explaining... but it is still an incorrect assumption. There is no way to prioritize multiplication without undermining the very definition of division as multiplication by reciprocals (ie 8/2 = 8*(1/2)) If you take the ACT test there's only one right answer to this simple problem. If you punch it into any scientific calculator, it will compute it in the same way. If you pick up any elementary algebra textbook which has been modernized to the point that kids use calculators or computers for basic computation... you will see it written in this way and not with the added parenthesis around 8/2... in fact it is often written in this way for just the purpose of teasing out this misunderstanding of the rule.