[QUOTE=Rosie;106058]If you solved it as 48/X(9+3) = 48/12X if x=2 then it is 48/ (2)12 which equals 2. The question as it is written is confussing. If you had 48/2*(9+3) it would be 288. But if the denominator is 2(9+3) it is 2, because you would solve the denominator before you divide. So is it 48/2 * (9+3) or 48/(2(9+3))?[/QUOTE

What I meant was if the problem is
48
___
2(9+3) you cannot divide 48 by 2 withouth first solving for the denominator. Using a / as a division symbol screws up the look of the problem.