Here’s a deceptively simple math challenge: 9 + 9 × 0 + 3 = ? The numbers are small, but this kind of equation can cause arguments because some people work straight from left to right.
Remember the order of operations
Multiplication comes before addition. That means we must calculate 9 × 0 first. Any number multiplied by zero equals zero.
The correct answer
Start with 9 + (9 × 0) + 3. That becomes 9 + 0 + 3, which equals 12.
So despite the image’s teasing suggestion that “most people say 12,” 12 really is the correct answer under standard arithmetic rules. Working left to right without doing multiplication first would give a different, incorrect result.
Did you solve it immediately? Share the equation with a friend and see if you both use the same method.
