Why is calculating the sum of 2 and 4 divided by 8 confusing?

Answer 1

A problem presented in the way this one has can be confusing because a question can arise as to what order the operations should be done in. Are 2 and 4 added and then the total divided by eight? Or is 2 added to the quotient of 4 divided by 8? (2 + 4)/8 = 6/8 = 3/4 or 2 + 4/8 = 2 + 1/2 = 2 1/2 ? In the question posed, no instructions are given other than the presentation of the problem. There were no parens to set off operations or anything else. And without other instructions (like parenthesis or brackets to set off an operation), basic rules of mathematics apply. The rule that applies here is the one covering the order of operations. First we multiply, second we divide, third we add, and lastly we subtract. (Given the rules cited, which answer is correct for the problem presented?)