This notebook puzzle challenges you with 30 + 20 × 0 + 5 = ? and a headline that says the answer is not 30. Let’s see why.
The correct answer is 35
Calculate multiplication first: 20 × 0 = 0. That turns the equation into 30 + 0 + 5. Add the remaining numbers and you get 35.
Why isn’t the answer 30?
Some people see the zero and stop after the first number. But zero only affects the multiplication term, so you still have to add the final five. Multiplying 20 by zero doesn’t cancel the last number in the equation.
The rule behind the puzzle
The standard order of operations gives multiplication priority over addition. Solve that multiplication, then finish the rest of the expression. This rule applies whether the numbers are small or large, and whether the multiplication produces zero or another value.
Did you solve it correctly without a calculator?
