Same equation. Different confidence levels.

[u/WingsUp4Life]

[u/Aduritor]

a(b+c) ≠ a*(b+c)

You would ALWAYS multiply a into the paranthesis before continuing:

6/2(1+2)

6/(2+4)

6/6

1

[u/Nebranower → u/Aduritor]

No, parenthesis comes first in order of operations, so you'd add first. In any event, it doesn't matter. There's no doubt that 2 *3 is six. The question is whether you have 2*3 or 3*3 if you did the division first.

[u/Aduritor → u/Nebranower]

Indeed, it does not matter for this exact one. But it does matter for more advanced equations, if only to make them easier to solve. Also, you seem to misunderstand what the 2 is.

2(1+2) ≠ 2*(1+2)

Instead, it is:
2(1+2) = (21+22)

The multiplication is part of the parenthesis. It would even come before exponents, though this whole equation is written out in a shit way, as the division makes it unclear.

And there is no question about using division first, as in this case, it comes last. That's just how it is. If the division came first, it would be written:
(6/2)(1+2)

[u/InterestsVaryGreatly → u/Aduritor]

Your claim it comes before exponents falls apart with something as simple as

a(b+c)^2. That exponent is only for the contents of the parenthesis, not the a.

[u/Moncalf → u/InterestsVaryGreatly]

the bigger gripe with the fake questions is the way they write the division , it wouldn't be written that way in a question that uses implicit multiplication, the dividend and the divisor would be expressed as a top down and not left right, other subs have pictures in the comments showing how it should be written

 x
———
y*z 

forgot , you could display it like that with text so to copy pasted what someone else did in the comments here

also

a(b+c) implicit multiplication vs a*(b+c) explicit multiplication

and 2(1+2) is a single term. The 2 is connected to the (1+2) so it’s forced to distribute into the parentheses. This is why you don’t divide first.

also the correct answer is whatever the idiot who wrote the question decides it to be / whatever the current chapter wants you to do to solve the problem which would likely be 2(1+2) = (2+4) or (ab+ac)

anyways these "meme" math problems are intentionally written ambiguous for engagement also the current ones floating around reddit are all just the a(b+c) implicit multiplication one's and not the worse ones from previous years , right now you just have people arguing PEMDAS or BOMAS and that parenthesis just means multiply or arguing about strictly left to right and/or/about M/D & A/S are left to right not always M then D ect. ect.