50 + 50 = 100
100 − 25 = 75
75 × 0 = 0
0 + 2 = 2
And they find 2.
The others change the number a little and find 0.
But those answers are incorrect. It is not about intelligence, but about a natural reflex: our brains follow mathematical rules without thinking about them.
A rule that many have forgotten.
In mathematics, there is a specific order of operations. We learn this rule at school, but many people forget it over the years.
The rule is simple:
First multiply and divide,
then add and subtract.
This rule is often called “multiply before addition”.
This means that we should not start our calculation with 50 + 50.
We must first calculate 25 × 0.
