It looks like a basic math problem, but it’s dividing the internet in half.
The expression is: 10 ÷ 5 × 2 − 1.
Some people confidently say the answer is 4. Others argue it’s 1. So who’s right?
The confusion comes from something many people forget—the correct order of operations. It’s easy to rush through and get a different result depending on how you approach it.
Here’s the key: division and multiplication are solved from left to right, not based on which one “looks easier.” After that, you handle subtraction.
Take a moment and try solving it yourself before reading further.
Still thinking?
Once you apply the correct order step by step, the answer becomes clear—and it might not be what you expected.
This is exactly why simple problems like this go viral… they expose how tricky “easy” math can really be.
