Some math puzzles look incredibly easy until you try to solve them quickly. This riddle asks you to determine Emma’s age from the expression 50 + 10 × 0 + 7 + 2. While the numbers are simple, the puzzle is designed to test whether you remember the correct order for performing mathematical operations.

The key is to use the standard order of operations, often remembered as PEMDAS or BODMAS. Multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction. That means you should not simply calculate the expression from left to right. The multiplication in Emma’s equation must be handled first.

Start with 10 × 0, which equals 0. The expression then becomes 50 + 0 + 7 + 2. Since only addition remains, you can work from left to right without changing the result. First, 50 + 0 equals 50, then adding 7 gives 57, and finally adding 2 gives 59.

That means the answer to the puzzle is 59 years old. The trick isn’t really the arithmetic itself—it is remembering that multiplication takes priority over addition. If someone starts adding the numbers from left to right without following the order of operations, they can easily arrive at a completely different answer.

So, did you get 59 on your first try? This quick puzzle is a good reminder that simple-looking equations can still catch us when we rush. Try sharing it with friends or family and see whether they remember the order of operations or fall for the tempting left-to-right calculation.