Think back to your school days, when teachers reminded you to follow the correct order of mathematical operations. Here’s a simple-looking equation that is challenging people online and testing their attention to detail. You don’t need advanced math skills or a calculator to solve it, just a good memory and a little concentration. Can you find the correct answer?

Here is the challenge:

<text weight=”bold” size=”xl” textAlign=”center”>50 + 50 − 25 × 0 + 2 + 2 + 2 = ?</text>

Take a moment before answering. Should you calculate everything from left to right, or does multiplication come first? Many people rush through the numbers and overlook one important rule. Remember that multiplication must be completed before addition and subtraction. Therefore, 25 × 0 equals 0, leaving us with 50 + 50 − 0 + 2 + 2 + 2.

Now solve the remaining expression from left to right. First, 50 + 50 gives you 100. Subtracting zero leaves 100, and adding the three remaining twos gives you 6 more. The final calculation is 100 + 6, which equals 106. The correct answer is therefore 106! The multiplication by zero affects only that particular part of the equation, not all the other numbers.

Did you get 106 on your first attempt? These little brain teasers are a fun way to refresh basic math skills and bring back memories of school. Share the puzzle with your friends and family and see who can solve it without making a mistake!