Why 8 Divided by 2 Is Breaking the Internet Again in Viral Math Wars
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Most English-speaking adults defend their positions by citing foundational schoolroom mnemonics. In the United States, students learn PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction), often memorized as "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally." In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India, curricula lean on BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) or BIDMAS (Indices).
These acronyms introduce an unintentional cognitive bias. A casual reader looking at PEMDAS assumes multiplication must always occur before division because the letter M precedes D. Conversely, an untrained reader looking at BODMAS assumes division must always precede multiplication because D comes before M. Both assumptions are wrong.
In standard order of operations curricula worldwide, multiplication and division hold equal rank. They share identical operator precedence. Under strict operational guidelines taught in primary education, when multiplication and division stand adjacent without grouping brackets, an evaluator must apply the strict left-to-right rule. Following that mechanical convention:
8 ÷ 2 × 4 = 4 × 4 = 16
Yet millions of mathematically literate professionals look at 8 ÷ 2(4) and still feel visceral discomfort arriving at 16. That hesitation is not ignorance; it is the instinctive recognition of algebraic grammar.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
