This stacked 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 the handwritten vertical layout is confusing a surprising number of adults today.
The image asks you to solve: 9 × 0 + 9 + 9.
What makes this puzzle so tricky is how our brains process that zero. When reading through the problem quickly, many people see the “× 0” and immediately assume that the entire equation is canceled out, leading them to confidently guess 0! Others might ignore the multiplication sign completely and just add all the nines together to get 27.
To prove you have the right answer, you have to follow 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 section at the top of the stack. 9 × 0 simply gives you 0.
When you drop that zero back into the problem, the equation becomes incredibly easy: 0 + 9 + 9.
Now you can just add those remaining numbers together to find your final solution.
Answer: 18.
