A math problem.

[MOM21SON]

I am asking you in advance to be kind to my DS.  he is 14,

PEMDAS

6-1x0+2/2=?

1x0=0
2/2=1
6-1+1
6-1=5+1=6

He is open to feedback.

[The Opinionator]

I am asking you in advance to be kind to my DS.  he is 14,

PEMDAS

6-1x0+2/2=?

1x0=0
2/2=1
6-1+1
6-1=5+1=6

He is open to feedback.

Where did he get the extra 1, if 1x0 is 0?

[MOM21SON]

I am asking you in advance to be kind to my DS.  he is 14,

PEMDAS

6-1x0+2/2=?

1x0=0
2/2=1
6-1+1
6-1=5+1=6

He is open to feedback.

Where did he get the extra 1, if 1x0 is 0?

He says because the 2/2=1

[The Opinionator]

I am asking you in advance to be kind to my DS.  he is 14,

PEMDAS

6-1x0+2/2=?

1x0=0
2/2=1
6-1+1
6-1=5+1=6

He is open to feedback.

Where did he get the extra 1, if 1x0 is 0?

He says because the 2/2=1

I get that one, I'm asking about the first 1. It should be 6-0+1, because 1x0 is 0.

[Aeris]

I am asking you in advance to be kind to my DS.  he is 14,

PEMDAS

6-1x0+2/2=?

1x0=0
2/2=1
6-1+1
6-1=5+1=6

He is open to feedback.

Where did he get the extra 1, if 1x0 is 0?

He says because the 2/2=1

That's for the PLUS 1. Where did the MINUS 1 come from?

[CluelessBride]

Since this was a radio station, was the question given orally or written?

Because if written like this:

6-1*0+2/2= ?  Then I agree that it's 7 based on order of operations.

However, if it was given orally, all bets are off based on how the sentence was punctuated:

For example, one could interpret, "Six minus 1 [pause] times zero [pause] plus two [pause] divided by two," as do each thing as I say it.
So it would be 6-1=5.  Then 5*0 = 0.  Then 0+2 =2.  Then 2/2 =1.
Or in math speak: [(6-1)*0+2]/2 = 1   

Basically, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the pauses indicated parenthesis or steps.  However, one could make an equally valid argument that the pauses were only intended to allow the listener to copy down what was being said.  Trying to "talk" math can be confusing, so for anything involving multiple operations, I prefer to  see the actual question written down.

[MOM21SON]

Thanks to the last 2 posters.  He has now seen his mistake and corrected himself and came up with 7.

[MOM21SON]

Since this was a radio station, was the question given orally or written?

Because if written like this:

6-1*0+2/2= ?  Then I agree that it's 7 based on order of operations.

However, if it was given orally, all bets are off based on how the sentence was punctuated:

For example, one could interpret, "Six minus 1 [pause] times zero [pause] plus two [pause] divided by two," as do each thing as I say it.
So it would be 6-1=5.  Then 5*0 = 0.  Then 0+2 =2.  Then 2/2 =1.
Or in math speak: [(6-1)*0+2]/2 = 1   

Basically, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the pauses indicated parenthesis or steps.  However, one could make an equally valid argument that the pauses were only intended to allow the listener to copy down what was being said.  Trying to "talk" math can be confusing, so for anything involving multiple operations, I prefer to  see the actual question written down.

It was written.

[deadbody]

Since this was a radio station, was the question given orally or written?

Because if written like this:

6-1*0+2/2= ?  Then I agree that it's 7 based on order of operations.

However, if it was given orally, all bets are off based on how the sentence was punctuated:

For example, one could interpret, "Six minus 1 [pause] times zero [pause] plus two [pause] divided by two," as do each thing as I say it.
So it would be 6-1=5.  Then 5*0 = 0.  Then 0+2 =2.  Then 2/2 =1.
Or in math speak: [(6-1)*0+2]/2 = 1   

Basically, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the pauses indicated parenthesis or steps.  However, one could make an equally valid argument that the pauses were only intended to allow the listener to copy down what was being said.  Trying to "talk" math can be confusing, so for anything involving multiple operations, I prefer to  see the actual question written down.

This I would totally agree with.  But since it was on Facebook I am sure it was written down.

[blueberry.muffin]

For anyone else who's confused...

Please watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOyG_6E0m60

The answer is really, really 7.

[MOM21SON]

I haven't taken math since 9th grade and no desire to.  So I am one of the dummies that doesn't know basic math and came up with 1.

I would love to know how some came up with 3.5.

[Aeris]

Thanks to the last 2 posters.  He has now seen his mistake and corrected himself and came up with 7.

I used to make a lot of mistakes on the simplest parts of math/chem/physics problems in high school. Something that helped me a lot was restructuring the way I wrote my math notes when reducing equations. I'd write every version immediately beneath the prior version, with each part lined up vertically, so that it was easier to notice when I'd transposed something, flipped a sign, etc. This helped me a lot in avoiding small errors.

[MOM21SON]

Thanks to the last 2 posters.  He has now seen his mistake and corrected himself and came up with 7.

I used to make a lot of mistakes on the simplest parts of math/chem/physics problems in high school. Something that helped me a lot was restructuring the way I wrote my math notes when reducing equations. I'd write every version immediately beneath the prior version, with each part lined up vertically, so that it was easier to notice when I'd transposed something, flipped a sign, etc. This helped me a lot in avoiding small errors.

Thank you.  I will share this with him.  I am very surprised he missed it.  He got 100% in Algebra honors last year in a class with students that were 2 grades ahead of him.

Geometry honors is not going so well.  However, engineering is going very well, so I don't get it.

[WillyNilly]

Thanks to the last 2 posters.  He has now seen his mistake and corrected himself and came up with 7.

I used to make a lot of mistakes on the simplest parts of math/chem/physics problems in high school. Something that helped me a lot was restructuring the way I wrote my math notes when reducing equations. I'd write every version immediately beneath the prior version, with each part lined up vertically, so that it was easier to notice when I'd transposed something, flipped a sign, etc. This helped me a lot in avoiding small errors.

^ That's why I always do long division.  "Show your work" was one of the best math lessons ever drilled into my head!  When I write each step, I'm less likely to make an error.

[CluelessBride]

I haven't taken math since 9th grade and no desire to.  So I am one of the dummies that doesn't know basic math and came up with 1.

I would love to know how some came up with 3.5.

Well, 3.5 isn't right, but here is what I suspect the faulty logic was:

6-1x0+2/2=?

6-1 =5.
"Zero is nothing.  So ignore it."***
5+2 =7
7/2 = 3.5


*** This was probably either an actual thought, or the person got mixed up with the rules about multiply by zero and 1.  Possibly confusing it with the exponent rule?  In other words, I'm not quite sure what their logic on this step was, only that I'm pretty sure that's the way the rest of it went.

Now if the problem looked like this:

   6-1^0+2
---------------  = ?
         2
Then 3.5 would be the correct answer (Do exponents first, 1^0=1.  Then 6-1+2 =7. Then 7/2 = 3.5).  So maybe they just misread the multiplication sign and screwed up the order of operations on division?

Thanks to the last 2 posters.  He has now seen his mistake and corrected himself and came up with 7.

I used to make a lot of mistakes on the simplest parts of math/chem/physics problems in high school. Something that helped me a lot was restructuring the way I wrote my math notes when reducing equations. I'd write every version immediately beneath the prior version, with each part lined up vertically, so that it was easier to notice when I'd transposed something, flipped a sign, etc. This helped me a lot in avoiding small errors.

Thank you.  I will share this with him.  I am very surprised he missed it.  He got 100% in Algebra honors last year in a class with students that were 2 grades ahead of him.

Geometry honors is not going so well.  However, engineering is going very well, so I don't get it.

For what it's worth, geometry is kind of a different type of math - it takes a different way of looking at things than the number crunching with algebra.  I know a lot of students who did well in algebra and struggled with geometry and just as many that struggled with algebra but did well with geometry.  Knowing that you have to approach it differently seemed to help a lot psychologically. 

Do you know if his geometry is proof based?