Can you solve this arithmetic challenge in your head? The expression is short, but it rewards careful attention to the order of operations.
200 + 30 × 0 + 6 = ?
Start with multiplication
Even though the first symbol you see is a plus sign, multiplication takes priority over addition. That means the correct first step is 30 × 0 = 0.
Now you can rewrite the problem as 200 + 0 + 6. With the multiplication finished, there is nothing tricky left to calculate.
The correct answer is 206
Adding the remaining terms gives 206. You don’t need a calculator to confirm it.
One tempting wrong approach is to work entirely from left to right: add 200 and 30 first, then multiply by zero. Standard arithmetic rules do not allow that because multiplication has higher precedence unless parentheses change the order.
Remember the simple rule: multiplication and division before addition and subtraction. It will help you solve countless little math puzzles like this one.
What answer did you get on the first try?
