This arithmetic puzzle is designed to catch anyone who simply works from left to right. The expression is 50 + 50 × 0 + 5, and the key is remembering the standard order of operations.
Multiplication comes before addition, so calculate 50 × 0 first. That equals 0. The expression then becomes 50 + 0 + 5.
Answer: 55.
The multiplication-by-zero step is the trap. It does not make the entire expression zero; it only makes the term 50 × 0 equal zero. After that, the remaining additions are straightforward.
