What is the correct answer to the viral math problem 8 ÷ 2(2+2)?

This seemingly simple arithmetic question frequently goes viral, dividing people into two camps: those who swear the answer is **1** and those who are certain it is **16**. The confusion does not stem from bad math, but from how people interpret the standard **Order of Operations** (PEMDAS / BODMAS). Here is the definitive, modern mathematical solution. The Correct Step-by-Step Solution According to modern algebraic conventions, the correct answer is **16**. Here is the breakdown using the PEMDAS/BODMAS rules: **Step 1: Parentheses (Brackets) First** First, evaluate the expression inside the parentheses: $$2 + 2 = 4$$ Now, substitute this back into the original problem: $$8 \div 2(4)$$ **Step 2: Multiplication and Division (Left to Right)** This is where the grand misunderstanding occurs. In PEMDAS, Multiplication ($M$) and Division ($D$) have **equal priority**. You do not perform multiplication before division; instead, you evaluate them strictly from **left to right**. Looking at our expression $8 \div 2(4)$, which can be rewritten as $8 \div 2 \times 4$: 1. Moving left to right, we encounter the division first: $$8 \div 2 = 4$$ 2. Now, perform the final multiplication: $$4 \times 4 = 16$$ Therefore, the mathematically correct answer today is **16**. Why Do Some People Get 1? (The Implicit Multiplication Trick) People who get **1** usually follow an older or historical convention called **Implicit Multiplication by Juxtaposition**. Under this historical convention, multiplication that is implied by putting numbers next to parentheses (like $2(4)$) has a *higher priority* than standard division ($\div$). If you apply that historical exception: 1. You multiply first: $$2(4) = 8$$ 2. Then you divide: $$8 \div 8 = 1$$ **In Reality:** While some older textbooks and older calculators (like certain historical Casio models) used this rule, modern global standards (such as the American Mathematical Society and all modern programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and Excel) treat explicit and implicit multiplication with equal weight, evaluating strictly from left to right.