Here’s a familiar-looking equation that can spark a surprisingly lively debate:
80 − 20 × 0 + 4 = ?
The trick is not the size of the numbers; it’s the order in which you perform the operations. When an expression includes multiplication and addition or subtraction, multiplication is performed first.
Solve it one step at a time
Before continuing, take a moment to calculate the result without a phone or calculator.
Answer
First, 20 × 0 = 0. Substitute that result back into the equation:
80 − 0 + 4 = 84.
So the correct answer is 84. A common mistake is to subtract 20 from 80 before multiplying, but that ignores the order of operations.
Did this one fool you or was it an easy win?
