At first glance, this problem feels almost too simple to even think about. A quick look at the numbers and most people instantly jump to an answer without slowing down. That’s exactly where the mistake happens.
The expression is:
10 + 10 × 10
What makes this tricky isn’t the numbers themselves—it’s the way the brain processes them. Most people instinctively go from left to right, adding first and then multiplying. It feels natural, fast, and correct… but it’s not how math actually works.
There’s a fundamental rule called the order of operations. It tells us that multiplication must be done before addition. No matter how simple the numbers look, that rule always applies.
So instead of rushing, break it down step by step.
First, focus on the multiplication:
10 × 10 = 100
Now replace that into the expression:
10 + 100
And finally:
10 + 100 = 110
That’s the correct answer.
What makes this interesting is how predictable the mistake is. People don’t get it wrong because they don’t know math—they get it wrong because they trust their first instinct too quickly.
