Odds are that you got one of two answers: you either belong to the huge swathe of internet users who got 1 or you’re one of the people whose answer is 16. The internet is raging with amateur and professional mathematicians debating what the real answer is. There may have been some arguments over who’s right. And some shouting. Maybe even some shoving.
Some internet users used calculators to show everyone that the answer was 16. Others referred to their ‘maths degrees’ as an appeal of authority to demonstrate that the answer was 1. Others still took this equation business a bit more seriously than you would expect, and suggested that both answers were correct… depending on what rules you use to figure out the answer.
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1.
August 5 year s ago
The answer is 1. When you advance far enough in math you get to chaos theory, quantum physics and swarm dynamics. Then you discover that everything you learned is wrong. (Start with the cat in the box) We as humans are defined because we use the decimal system, our way of calculating value, time and distance. 
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2.
Mushroom 5 year s ago
Depends of rules. If 2(2+2) actually means 2∙(2+2) then 16, if not then 1.
It simple examle, in math there are much more undefined example like matrices, which one you use row-oriented or column-oriented matrix by subscription they looks indentical it can be ether row oriented or column oriented:
|2 4 3|
|6 7 8|
|9 8 2|
Same about ∙ it can be scalar multiplication or dot product in geometry.
Good math article always define operation subscription before writing formula.
It simple examle, in math there are much more undefined example like matrices, which one you use row-oriented or column-oriented matrix by subscription they looks indentical it can be ether row oriented or column oriented:
|2 4 3|
|6 7 8|
|9 8 2|
Same about ∙ it can be scalar multiplication or dot product in geometry.
Good math article always define operation subscription before writing formula.
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3.
Girl 5 year s ago
answer : 69 
1
4.
Forget 5 year s ago
16 is only the correct answer when you treat the equation as:
(8÷2)(2+2)
... which it appears that some calculators are doing.
Work backwards to find out what the correct answer is:
8÷2(2+2)= ?
8= ? x 2(2+2)
You cannot bring over the 8÷2 because it is not bracketed.
and so 16 x 2(2+2) is obviously not 8.
The answer is 1.
(8÷2)(2+2)
... which it appears that some calculators are doing.
Work backwards to find out what the correct answer is:
8÷2(2+2)= ?
8= ? x 2(2+2)
You cannot bring over the 8÷2 because it is not bracketed.
and so 16 x 2(2+2) is obviously not 8.
The answer is 1.
It simple examle, in math there are much more undefined example like matrices, which one you use row-oriented or column-oriented matrix by subscription they looks indentical it can be ether row oriented or column oriented:
|2 4 3|
|6 7 8|
|9 8 2|
Same about ∙ it can be scalar multiplication or dot product in geometry.
Good math article always define operation subscription before writing formula.
(8÷2)(2+2)
... which it appears that some calculators are doing.
Work backwards to find out what the correct answer is:
8÷2(2+2)= ?
8= ? x 2(2+2)
You cannot bring over the 8÷2 because it is not bracketed.
and so 16 x 2(2+2) is obviously not 8.
The answer is 1.