Here is a quick mental-math challenge: 7 + 2 × 4 − 3 = ? The numbers are small, yet it’s still easy to get a different answer if you overlook the order of operations.
What should you calculate first?
The important step is multiplication. Under standard arithmetic rules, multiplication is completed before addition and subtraction. Do not simply process every symbol from left to right.
The correct answer is 12
First multiply: 2 × 4 = 8. Now replace that part of the original equation: 7 + 8 − 3. Finally calculate from left to right: 7 + 8 = 15, and 15 − 3 = 12.
Why the answer isn’t 11
The picture teases that the answer is not 11. That’s correct: following the proper order of operations gives 12. A calculator is unnecessary once you remember to handle multiplication before the remaining steps.
Did you solve it at a glance, or did you stop to double-check? Pass the problem to someone else and compare your methods.
