Here’s a quick brain teaser that looks simpler than it is: 200 − 50 × 0 + 7 = ? It is the kind of arithmetic problem that can catch you out if you rush through the symbols in the wrong order.
What is the answer to 200 − 50 × 0 + 7?
The correct answer is 207. The first step is to multiply 50 by 0, which gives 0. Your equation becomes 200 − 0 + 7. Next, subtract zero from 200, then add seven.
- 50 × 0 = 0
- 200 − 0 = 200
- 200 + 7 = 207
Why the order of operations matters
Multiplication is performed before addition and subtraction in a standard expression without parentheses. If you subtract 50 from 200 before multiplying, you have changed the order of the calculation and will reach the wrong result.
Remember that multiplying one term by zero does not turn the whole equation into zero. It only changes that product. The other numbers remain exactly where they were.
Did you solve it on your first try? Send the equation to someone who enjoys a mental math challenge and compare answers before showing the steps.
