This quick math puzzle looks simple, but the multiplication by zero is exactly where people can get tripped up.
The expression is:
7 + 4 × 0 + 6
To solve it correctly, use the standard order of operations. Multiplication comes before addition.
Start with:
4 × 0 = 0
Now the expression becomes:
7 + 0 + 6
Then finish the addition:
7 + 6 = 13
A common mistake is to work from left to right and add 7 + 4 first. Another is to see the zero and assume the entire expression becomes zero. But the zero only affects the 4 because those two numbers are being multiplied together.
So the correct answer is:
13
It is a very short equation, but the ×0 is enough to make plenty of people second-guess themselves.
Answer: 13.
