Internet math puzzles are famous for sparking massive comment-section debates, and the equation here is no exception. At first glance, the problem looks like a long string of simple numbers: 50 + 1 + 52 \div 52 - 50 - 1 = ?
However, because human brains love to read from left to right, thousands of people confidently arrive at the wrong answer.
The secret to solving this correctly lies entirely in the order of operations, often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS or BODMAS. This rule dictates that multiplication and division must always be calculated before addition and subtraction.
Let's break down the math step-by-step:
Identify the Division: First, isolate the division part of the equation:52 \52. Any number divided by itself equals 1.
Rewrite the Equation: Replace that section with 1. The equation now reads: 50 + 1 + 1 - 50 - 1.
Add and Subtract: Now you can safely calculate from left to right.
50 + 1 = 51
51 + 1 = 52
52 - 50 = 2
2 - 1 = 1
Therefore, the correct answer is 1. Did you manage to avoid the left-to-right trap?