This grocery-list equation looks easy enough to do in your head: 3 + 3 × 3 − 3 = ? But a tiny order-of-operations detail changes the result. See whether you can solve it before reading on.
Remember multiplication first
In arithmetic, multiplication takes priority over addition and subtraction. That means you must calculate the 3 × 3 in the middle before moving through the rest of the expression.
The correct answer is 9
First calculate 3 × 3 = 9. Then the expression becomes 3 + 9 − 3. Adding gives 12, and subtracting 3 leaves 9. So the mathematically correct answer is 9.
A mismatch in the picture
The headline on the image says the answer is not 9, but the equation shown actually does equal 9. The headline is a deliberate-looking trick or an error, not a different arithmetic rule. There is no need to force a different answer to match it.
Why explaining your steps matters
When people disagree on short puzzles like this one, writing out the order of operations usually settles the question. The right method matters more than the attention-grabbing claim above the equation.
