Can you solve 5 + 5 × 0 + 4 without a calculator? The numbers are small, but the order of operations matters.
The correct answer is 9.
Multiplication must be completed before addition. Start with 5 × 0, which equals 0. The expression then becomes 5 + 0 + 4. Add the remaining numbers and you get 9.
If you simply calculate every operation from left to right, you may end up with a different answer. That is the trap behind many viral arithmetic puzzles. Multiplication and division take priority over addition and subtraction unless parentheses change the order.
Therefore, 5 + 5 × 0 + 4 = 9.
