Where would the parentheses go in the expression \(12 \div 2 \times 2^3\) to get the answer of 120?

You must use PEMDAS.
12 ÷ 2 × 2³ = 120 12 ÷ 2 × 8 = 120 6 × 8 = 120 48 ≠ 120 If you solve without parentheses, it does not equal 120.
(12 ÷ 2) × 2³ = 120 6 × 2³ = 120 6 × 8 = 120 48 ≠ 120 If you put the parentheses around 12 ÷ 2, it does not equal 120.
12 ÷ (2 × 2³) = 120 12 ÷ (2 × 8) = 120 12 ÷ 16 = 120 0.75 ≠ 120 If you put the parentheses around 2 × 2³, it does not equal 120.
(12 ÷ 2 × 2)³ = 120 (6 × 2)³ = 120 (12)³ = 120 1728 ≠ 120 If you put the parentheses around 12 ÷ 2 × 2, it does not equal 120.
You cannot put parentheses anywhere to get the answer of 120.

Answered by iloveonedirection | 2024-06-10

The expression 12 ÷ 2 × 2 3 cannot be rearranged with parentheses to equal 120, as all attempts yield different results, such as 48 or 0.75. Therefore, no placement of parentheses will achieve the desired outcome. The order of operations makes it impossible to reach 120 from this expression.
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Answered by iloveonedirection | 2024-12-19