This quick equation is another order-of-operations trap:
8 + 8 – 8 × 0 = ?
Multiplication must be done before addition and subtraction. So start with:
8 × 0 = 0
Now the expression becomes:
8 + 8 – 0
That gives:
16
Answer: 16.
The most common mistake is to work strictly from left to right and subtract 8 before multiplying. But standard arithmetic rules give multiplication priority.
These puzzles look deceptively easy because every number is small, yet a single zero and one multiplication sign can change how people approach the problem.
Did you get 16 on the first try?
