This 'Simple' Math Equation Has Divided The Internet. Can You Solve It?

Can you solve this viral math equation?

At first glance it seems like school-level math. So why is this seemingly simple equation dividing the Internet? Posted by a Twitter user on Monday, 8 divided by 2(2+2) is the equation in question. Since being shared online, it has gone viral with over 12,000 'likes' and thousands of comments. People can't agree on the correct answer.

Can you solve it? Take a look:

oomfies solve this pic.twitter.com/0RO5zTJjKk
— em ♥︎ (@pjmdolI) July 28, 2019

Were you able to solve the equation? Did your answer come down to either 16 or 1?

Well, that's where the trouble begins. Tweeple can't seem to agree upon the correct answer.

(2+2) = 4
8/2 = 4
4(4) = 16
— em! (@jimnlvr) July 28, 2019

(2+2) 4
8/2(4)
According to PEMDAS you need to get rid of parathenses first so
2(4)=8
8/8=1 answer is one.
— koook (@SoWhAT9000) July 28, 2019

i have 2 math degrees it's 1
— laur♏️ (@lauram_williams) July 30, 2019

it's 16 and if you say otherwise start packing your clown shoes ????
— karla (@svhobi) July 29, 2019

So why is this happening? According to one Twitter user, the answer depends on which mathematician you listen to:

It's either 1 or 16 depending on which mathematician you listen to, because order of operations isn't a hard and fast rule, and math is really just a language.

And nothing is true. pic.twitter.com/d324s8grlA
— ????????Moon-faced Assassin of Joy???????? (@NomeDaBarbarian) July 30, 2019

More simply put, the answer depends on whether you were taught the BODMAS or the PEMDAS method at school.

If you were taught the BODMAS method (Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction), you get 16 as the final answer.

On the other hand, if you used PEMDAS to solve the equation (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction), then the answer is 1.

So because of that you do division first, since it comes before multiplication in the equation. And 8÷2 is 4, leaving you with 4×4 which is 16. The answer is 16. (2/2)
— pink gold peach (@pug_galactic) July 31, 2019

What do you think of this viral equation? Let us know using the comments section.

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