Following PEMDAS, 2 + 2 x 4 = 10
The Claim
2 + 2 x 4 = 16
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Emerging story
On July 21, 2021, Twitter user Claudius posted a math equation with polled responses with the caption: “idek what stressed me out more, the fact that 26% somehow got 13 or the fact that the correct answer isn’t even an option.” The math equation was 2 + 2 x 4.
The tweet was liked, shared, and discussed by thousands. Some claimed that the answer 16 is correct, since “we read left to right.”
Others discussed PEMDAS and how to apply it.
Misbar’s Analysis
PEMDAS is an acronym that shows the order of operations meant to be followed in a math equation. It stands for:
Parentheses
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction.
If there are no parentheses, then you start with exponents; if no exponents, then multiplication; and so on. The acronym varies by region. Some call it BODMAS (Brackets, Order) while some call it GEMDAS (Grouping).
Although many social media users contend that the 2 + 2 x 4 equation should be solved going from left to right since many people read left to right, that is incorrect. Math is known as the “universal language,” and can be understood all over the world. Since linguistic languages and reading styles vary (for example, some languages are read right to left, or up and down), PEMDAS was instated to create a universal order of operations. According to TeachThought: “These conventions exist to eliminate notational ambiguity while allowing notation to be as brief as possible.”
Following PEMDAS (or BOMDAS or GEMDAS), 2 + 2 x 4 = 10. You multiply 2 and 4, which equals 8, and then add 2, which equals 10.
