This quick math puzzle asks you to solve 12 + 12 × 0 + 6 without using a calculator. The numbers are simple, but the order of operations matters.
The correct answer is 18.
Multiplication comes before addition, so start with 12 × 0. That equals 0. The expression then becomes 12 + 0 + 6.
Now add the remaining numbers: 12 + 6 = 18.
So the full calculation is: 12 + (12 × 0) + 6 = 18.
A common mistake is to work from left to right and add 12 + 12 first. Standard arithmetic rules require multiplication and division to be completed before addition and subtraction unless parentheses change the order.
