This straightforward math equation has been causing a massive debate on social media! It looks exactly like a problem you would have easily solved in grade school, but it is tricking a surprising number of adults today.
The problem asks you to solve: 9 + 9 × 0 + 9 ÷ 1.
What makes this puzzle so tricky is that we naturally want to read and solve it straight from left to right. If you do that, you might add the first 9 and 9 to get 18, then multiply by 0 to get 0, and quickly find yourself completely off track! That zero in the middle is a classic trap.
To get the right answer, you have to remember the golden rule of math: the order of operations. This rule states that multiplication and division must always be completed before addition and subtraction.
So, your very first step is to tackle the multiplication and division sections. First, 9 × 0 gives you 0. Next, 9 ÷ 1 simply equals 9.
When you put those numbers back into the problem, the equation becomes incredibly easy: 9 + 0 + 9.
Now you can just add those remaining numbers together to find your final solution.
Answer: 18.
