Can You Solve This Math Problem? 90% Get It Wrong!

Can You Solve This Simple Problem?

This meme has been floating around on the internet for a while, specifically on Facebook. Of course, internet users, being the “clever minded” bunch that they are, are always keen on content that is designed to “trick” or “deceive” them.

Yes Anything Times Zero is Zero

But that’s not the correct answer.

Here’s the meme: a SteinsGate anime girl with a math problem that appears simple enough.

Order of Operations

The solution to this meme revolves around order of operations. Of course, the way the problem is written, lacking any sort of brackets, is deceptive at first glance. Remember multiplication first, then addition and subtraction.

The Solution

If we re-write the problem properly, it should look something like this:

((1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1) – 1) + ((1+1+1+1+1) + (1 x 0))

Executed correctly, the correct answer should be 14.

I’ve seen so many people on social media posting 0 thinking they’ve discovered the deceptive trick at the end of the problem, well joke is on you, because YOU have been tricked!!!

A lot of people also put 6 as the correct answer, thinking that the 1’s after the minus sign should all be subtracted. Remember that a minus sign next to a number is actually (-1 x That number), so unless there was brackets actually around the entire set of numbers, only that one number must be subtracted.