Only the most observant will find the correct answer! Answer to the first comment
Only the most observant will find the correct answer! Answer to the first comment
Simple math challenges for middle schoolers are among the most viral content on the web. An image showing a calculation written in the palm of a hand is currently all the rage on Facebook. The promise is provocative: “Finish this if you’re a genius. 2 – 2 × 3 + 3. 95% failure rate . “
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Upon reading this ultra-short text, the immediate reaction of most internet users is to respond within seconds. Yet, the comment sections are torn apart by completely different responses: 3 , -7 , 1 , or even -1 . Why does such a simple equation provoke so much disagreement?
Why are 95% of people wrong?
The error doesn’t stem from a lack of logic, but from forgetting the order of operations (the well-known rule known as PEMDAS or BODMAS ). Our brains naturally tend to read from left to right, which leads to two very common pitfalls:
The trap of reading directly (from left to right):
Some first calculate $2 – 2 = 0$ , then multiply by $3$ ( $0 \times 3 = 0$ ), and finally add $3$ . They thus find 3 .
The trap of poorly implemented PEMDAS:
