This short math puzzle is designed to catch anyone who forgets the order of operations. The expression is 25 + 25 × 0 + 6.
Multiplication comes before addition, so calculate 25 × 0 first. That equals 0. The expression then becomes 25 + 0 + 6.
Answer: 31.
The zero is the trap. Multiplying one term by zero does not make the entire expression zero; it only changes the term 25 × 0 to zero. Once that step is complete, the final addition is simple.
If you got 31 without reaching for a calculator, you followed the correct order of operations.
