Can You Solve These Tricky Math Problems?

Social media users have gone crazy after solving this mathematical problem. Why? Although it seems like a simple math problem, believe it or not this math problem has two correct solutions according the social media users. If we know that mathematics is a science that is exact with only one correct solution to each task, then how is it possible that this task has two correct solutions according people on social media ?! Confusing isn’t it? Let’s see what it’s all about.

With all this technology that surrounds us, all the applications that solve math problems themselves, advanced calculators that count fractions and cosines, etc. today we challenge you to take a piece of paper and a pen and try to solve this math problem yourself. Believe that the calculator will not be of much help to you. The math task we prepared for you today is as follows:

8 – 2 ÷ + 1 = ?

At first glance, this mathematical problem looks like a simple mathematical task in which you just need to follow the order of solving operations. But is it really so ?! We challenge you to solve this task yourself and write us your solution procedure in a comment.

In the meantime, let’s talk about how to solve this math problem. Social media users came up with two correct solutions 4 and 13. Which of these solutions are correct? Or maybe none of them are true. Let’s see how people on social media came up with both solutions.

How the first solution was obtained according to people on social networks? The procedure is as follows:

( 8 – 2 ) ÷ + 1 =

= 6 ÷ + 1 =

= 3 + 1 =

= 4.

Why is this solution not correct? The first mistake is to solve this equation from left to right. The second mistake is in the sequence of solving the operations. And the third mistake is in the division where product 3 is obtained ( 6 ÷ ).

How was the second solution 13 obtained according people on social media? The procedure is as follows:

( 8 – 2 ) ÷ + 1 =

6 ÷ = ?

× 2 = ?

( 6 ) × 2 ( 6 ) = ?

1 × 12 = 12

12 + 1 = 13

Why is this solution not true either? Although most of the answers among people on social networks is that this is the correct answer, they still forgot to follow the sequence of solving operations. The rule to follow when solving mathematical equations is PEMDAS which clearly defines the sequence of solving operations which stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication-Division and, lastly Addition – Subtraction. If you solve this math problem correctly and follow this rule, you will get a completely different result from the two solutions presented by the users of the social networks.

Following the PEMDAS rule because we have no parentheses or exponents in this mathematical equation, we first solve the operation by division. If we divide 2 by we get 4 as shown above.

8 – 2 ÷ + 1 =

= 8 – 4 + 1 = ?

All we have to do now is subtract and add because they are considered operations with the same advantage, same as multiplication and division, so we count from left to right. This is how we come to this solution:

4 + 1 = 5.

Thus, by correctly solving this mathematical equation according to the PEMDAS rule, we come to the only correct solution 5. So it is definitely not possible to have two correct solutions in mathematics, because it is an exact and precise science.

Challenge yourself a little more. Here is another math task that will shake your brain. Try to solve it.

9 – 3 ÷ + 1 = ?