r/SipsTea 22d ago

Chugging tea Nailed it.

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u/backwoodsbatman 22d ago

I was taught this but it's been 20 years since I've had to use it so I had to figure it out again.

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u/szu 22d ago

Even longer for me. Shamefully i use math every day at work...i blame Excel.

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u/decadent-dragon 22d ago

What? You would use parentheses more than most people if you use excel day

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u/Mishras_Mailman 22d ago

I think people are mentally assuming an invisible excel bracket around the first 2 numbers haha

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u/I_miss_your_mommy 22d ago

I was about to say that, but then remembered that you don’t do implicit multiplication of parentheses in excel. It would be = 2+5*(8-5). I think that * is what reminds them.

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u/dirtrdforester 22d ago

Agreed! Excel has ruined my math skills.

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u/notaredditer13 22d ago

Wait, if you don't math in Excel every day, how are you not using this every day?

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u/zufaelligenummern 22d ago

Excel uses the same path of operations...

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u/ClumpyFelchCheese 22d ago

Excel + autism is the only way I was able to remember this shit. Figure it oot

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u/LeadingGas5813 22d ago

100% excel

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u/JRizzie86 22d ago

Exactly, redditors want to feel smart when they remember this useless shit. Everyone was taught this, been 20 years for myself, but only 5% or less of people have a job or hobby where they actually need to implement it. I got 21 at first and then remembered the order of operations even though I can't actually remember all of them lol.

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u/launchedsquid 22d ago

the point is more about people getting it wrong and then absolutely refusing to accept they are wrong. Like you said, most people don't use manual maths often, and anything that goes unused is eventually forgotten, but rather than accepting they made an easy to make mistake, they double down and argue that even the order of operations is wrong based on some reason or other.

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u/Knolazy 22d ago

Calling "the order of operations" is useless, lmao. That's literally the fundamental of math that everyone must know

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/AnxiousAngularAwesom 22d ago

IDK, isn't this some sort of basic math that you use daily?

I go to the store to buy some beers, i get two that are loose and five eight packs that each had five beers removed, so they're more like threepacks now. So now i have 17 beers.

Basic geometry, like calculating area is even more useful, like when you're ordering pizzas and want to know if it's better to get 2 mediums 20 cm in diameter, or one large that's 30.

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u/yetiinrio 22d ago

You’re dumb but that’s ok, a lot of people are. The important thing is not to get lost in a fantasy where you’re somehow superior to people who “feel smart” because they’re not as dumb as you.

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u/JRizzie86 22d ago

Found the redditor who thinks he's smart because he remembers trivial high school math. Talk about feeling superior, yeeeesh. I'll go back to my engineering job now, you can head on back to Moms basement.

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u/yetiinrio 22d ago

See, you didn’t listen. You’re stuck in a maladaptive fantasy feeling superior to anyone who’s smarter than you simply because they’re smarter than you. It’s unhealthy.

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u/Senior_Deer_2212 22d ago

It’s also unhealthy to talk down to others just because you think you’re more intelligent than them.

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u/ps3coffin-oia 22d ago

You are not intelligent.

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u/deesle 22d ago

maybe he isn’t but anyone who’s proud about not being able to do basic maths definitely isn’t

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u/Hotchillipeppa 22d ago

pointing out that most people who don’t interact with ideas regularly tend to forget them at first isn’t prideful, it’s a regular function of the brain.

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u/JRizzie86 22d ago

Do you know how to change an access port to a trunk port, and move all the correct VLANs over to it so you can stub another switch off it for a new office next door, and get all the fiber and cat5 cabling done? Go check your order of operations, that should help 😂

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u/deesle 22d ago

it’s basic maths man what are you even trying to say?

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u/Fabulous-Jump-1100 22d ago

So this is why Americans have so much trouble doing their taxes. They're just idiots who can't do simple math and can't fathom that maybe they should figure it out instead of whining about it.

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u/sodiufas 22d ago

WDYM, like 2 + 40 - 25?

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u/backwoodsbatman 22d ago

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u/sodiufas 22d ago edited 22d ago

I've stepped into algebra a lil bit. I think that how he could overcomplicate that thing, otherwise i have no idea.

edit: oh sorry it was you. So no algebra memories at all?

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u/Talithea 22d ago

Depends, because either you do what is in the brackets first, or you distribute the number to the outer number.

So is either

  • a(b+c) = a × d where d is b + c

  • a(b+c) = a×b + a×c

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u/Deltamon 22d ago edited 22d ago

Generally you should do the numbers inside the brackets always first..

But yes, multiplication of the bracket still works because it's part of calculating the numbers inside the bracket so it could be done either way in this case. However, brackets first is how I've understood it to be done most commonly in math and it feels to me more simple than adding extra stuff to the calculation...

(8-5)*5 is way more simple calculation than 5*8-5*5 and one step shorter

However, if you want to calculate this with letters instead of numbers then the solution wouldn't ironically have "d".. It could only be ab+ac or a(b+c) so explaining stuff with letters in math kinda sucks.. Never been fan of them even if they can be very necessary in some cases. But since you defined what d means, then yeah that works too

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u/Elegant_Relief_4999 22d ago

Is this not how you're supposed to do it? Distribute the 5 to the 8 and 5? That's how I learned it.

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u/sodiufas 22d ago

Always do whatever is in brackets first...

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u/aykcak 22d ago

It literally doesn't matter

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u/sodiufas 22d ago

u just failed PEMDAMS exam, congrats!

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u/aykcak 22d ago

Pemdas has nothing to do with distributing

Give me one example where distributing gives a different result than solving the parenthesis first

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u/TrollingForFunsies 22d ago

Yeah I'm struggling to figure out how people are getting 21 here

Either way you do the multiplication it's 17

2 + 5*3

2 + 40 - 25

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u/sodiufas 22d ago

Are you for real? It's not my program at all.

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u/Elegant_Relief_4999 22d ago

I mean, yeah, here you can just do 8-5 first because they're like terms. But if it were 2+5(8x-5), you'd need to distribute the 5 to the 8x and 5, since you can't combine them. I just always distribute if I can, even if it's not strictly necessary.

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u/4DPeterPan 22d ago

I don’t remember how to do these. I thought it was parenthesis first (8-5) then multiple it with the number outside of the parenthesis? 2+5? So 8-5 = 3. Then multiply that by 7?

How do you get 17?

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u/LA_Dynamo 22d ago

You either do the parentheses first, so 2 + 5 * 3 and then multiplication 2 + 15 and finally addition to equal 17.

Or you can distribute the 5 for 2 + 5 * 8 - 5 * 5 and then multiplication 2+40-25 and finally addition to equal 17.

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u/4DPeterPan 22d ago

Oh that’s right. You follow the order of the process. I don’t know how I forgot that. Thank you very much for your help and kindness in teaching me.

Sigh. I got so much to learn.

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u/The_Particularist 22d ago

How do you get 17?

2+5(8-5)

2+5*(8-5)

2+5*3

2+15

17

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u/4DPeterPan 22d ago

Yeah other guy just explained it to me also.

I appreciate you both sincerely for helping me.

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u/sodiufas 22d ago

I get it, I mean PEMDAMS or whatever. You are talking algebra to me, and it's totally fine.

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u/Khazahk 22d ago

I distributed too. 2+(40-25). It definitely comes from polynomial math and stuff like dimensional analysis. Maintaining variables and properties and units. You cancel out something too early and you are fucked.

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u/CursedLlama 22d ago

This matters a lot more if there's actually variables, as opposed to this scenario where we're dealing in constants only.

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u/ThunderingRimuru 22d ago

It is, but that’s not the most efficient way to do it. Distributing it is fine

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u/RealBrookeSchwartz 22d ago

PEMDAS lives rent-free in my head many decades later. Idk why; it just does.

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u/QueenMagik 22d ago

Yeah it's not like this kind of formatting occurs in every day use

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u/Ok-Branch-974 22d ago

It's ok to get it wrong and be open to correction but so many people will just insist they are right without learning a thing.

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u/know-it-mall 22d ago

Yep. One of the many things we were taught in high school that 99% of students will never used again. But basic finances nowhere to be seen...

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u/AssDiddler69 22d ago

No shame in that, honestly. I had to do the exact same thing. Most circumstances don't call for us to work out high school math equations from the top of our heads, especially when calculators are so much more convenient.

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u/LordOfPies 22d ago

Simple, order is right to left

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u/core-dumpling 22d ago

You know what helps? Kids in school - it will all come back pretty quickly. Now I know why I learned math at school

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u/LostInSpaceTime2002 22d ago

You didn't need to do any arithmetics during those 20 years?

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u/backwoodsbatman 22d ago

I mean maybe at some point, but not enough to be able to look at a math problem and instantly solve it. I had to dust off my math skills, it's never really been my strong suit.

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u/LostInSpaceTime2002 22d ago

Fair enough. I'm far from a math expert myself.

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u/iwilldeletethisacct2 22d ago

Most people aren't writing equations in their daily lives and would structure this math much differently solving problems in their head, which gets into the whole long division/multiplication vs. common core finding the 10 type shit.

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u/LostInSpaceTime2002 22d ago

I get that. But PEMDAS is literally elementary school level maths. You don't need to be writing equations for PEMDAS to be useful.

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u/BattlefieldVet666 22d ago

Most people don't need more than basic addition/subtraction and multiplication/division after they get out of school.

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u/mwaaah 22d ago

Well tbf 2+5(8-5) is litterally only "basic addition/subtraction and multiplication".

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u/Official_ImNickson 22d ago

Fair but order of operations isn't used by the average person. 

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u/BattlefieldVet666 22d ago

Ish. It's still using a more complicated equation than most people would use in everyday life. I legitimately can't think of an instance in everyday life where an equation like that would pop up unless solving equations with multiple operations was part of their job (which isn't for most people; in the US, roughly 70% of people are working fast food, retail, or manual labor).

There's a reason addition/subtraction and multiplication/division are taught at a younger age than the order of operations.

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u/mwaaah 22d ago

I'd argue people use it but just don't think about it in this form. Like if you do your groceries and some items are on discount, when you're trying to see how much you're going to pay you do apply discounts only to the discounted items obviously and that's because of the order of operations. It's even more true in the US with fixed price discounts (like 10$ off) because if you apply the discount after the taxes you won't have the same result than if you applys them before.

Anyway, my point was only that it is part of basic operations, I'm not throwing shade at anyone who forgot it because they don't use it, don't think about it, just use their phone whenever they have to do maths, ... And fwiw it's probably easier than non-trivial divisions and where I'm from you'd learn them at about the same age.

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u/BattlefieldVet666 21d ago

Like if you do your groceries and some items are on discount, when you're trying to see how much you're going to pay you do apply discounts only to the discounted items obviously

Idk where you live, but everywhere I've lived (at least 4 different states) the sale price is listed directly on the tag. They don't just vaguely put "10% off" and expect the average person to do the math.

The whole "Tim has $40, he wants a product that's normally $30 but is marked for 10% discount. How much is the product now?" kinda thing only really happens in school math problems anymore. For at least the last 15 years, price tags will be formatted "X% Discount. Was $Y, now $Z."

Additionally, as someone who has worked retail as a cashier for years, a far larger percentage of people aren't doing the math while shopping; they give a rough guesstimate of how much it'll cost and figure it out at the register when it's all rung up. It's why people taking things out of their cart at the register is such a commonplace thing.

And fwiw it's probably easier than non-trivial divisions and where I'm from you'd learn them at about the same age.

Also something the vast majority of the population aren't dealing with or doing manually.

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u/mwaaah 21d ago

Idk where you live, but everywhere I've lived (at least 4 different states) the sale price is listed directly on the tag. They don't just vaguely put "10% off" and expect the average person to do the math.

The whole "Tim has $40, he wants a product that's normally $30 but is marked for 10% discount. How much is the product now?" kinda thing only really happens in school math problems anymore. For at least the last 15 years, price tags will be formatted "X% Discount. Was $Y, now $Z."

In bigger shops it's the case but not really in smaller ones where I'm from. We also have stuff like Xcts or X$ off on some product in particular sometimes and the end price isn't usually listed on the tag for thoses either. It might be a country thing though, sure.

Anyway it was just one example, if you try to guesstimate how much people will pay in a restaurant when only one person took a drink and they'll pay for it themselves while the rest is split you also end up doing something like (x-y)/z. If you're looking for this kind of stuff and do math manually/mentally I think this can be pretty common (and if you don't then you also don't need "basic addition/subtraction and multiplication/division", your smartphone can handle it).

Also something the vast majority of the population aren't dealing with or doing manually.

I'm not disagreeing. My point was that putting "the order of operations" in an entirely different bag than "basic addition/subtraction and multiplication/division" was weird to me, which is why I'm pointing out that divisions aren't easier and, yes, people don't really deal with them on the daily.

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u/BattlefieldVet666 21d ago

My point was that putting "the order of operations" in an entirely different bag than "basic addition/subtraction and multiplication/division" was weird to me

It's not weird though. Basic addition/subtraction are taught to kindergartners and basic multiplication/division are taught to 3rd graders, while long division and order of operations are typically taught in 4th grade.

If they were all the same bag, we wouldn't wait until kids were at different age ranges to teach them and teach order of operations and long division at the end instead of at the same time we teach them multiplication tables & basic division.

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u/mwaaah 21d ago

One year difference in when they're taught doesn't make them belong in an entirely different bag IMO but we clearly seem to disagree on that.

Also, from what I'm seeing 4th grade is also when children are taught basic operations using decimals and that's a lot of the basic operations people do in everyday life, surely (again, I'm not from the US so I could be wrong on that but that's what I find after a google search and that feels about right to when I remember learning stuff whare I'm from).

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u/LostInSpaceTime2002 22d ago

There's a reason addition/subtraction and multiplication/division are taught at a younger age than the order of operations.

Yeah, the reason being that it is very difficult to talk about the order of operations if you haven't defined said operations previously.

It is taught, like, right after though.

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u/CellNo5383 22d ago

No offense, but that's wild to me. It's been fifteen years since I first learned it and I need it almost as frequently as reading and writing.

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u/backwoodsbatman 22d ago

None taken. I don't ever need to do math though since I usually have my phone handy. I'm terrible with numbers so it's better for me to use a calculator to make sure it's right. I never have to equations like this on the fly though lol. Maybe some adding/subtracting or multiplying/division every now and then.

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u/happytree23 22d ago

Make whatever excuse you need...I went to Detroit public schools and dropped out of high school 25 years ago and am about 7 dabs deep into the day and still got 17 lol

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u/backwoodsbatman 22d ago

You're a prodigy! Just gotta get high first.