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docmoc_pp t1_iyc01gd wrote

It’s because you’re not really multiplying. You’re repeat adding.

1 + 2 x 3 is really 1 + 2 +2 + 2.

Now if you throw some parentheses around the one and the two, you change the story.

(1 + 2) x 3 is really (1 + 2) + (1 + 2) + (1 + 2) which is indeed 9

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