Here is a quick math puzzle that is currently confusing a lot of people on social media.
It looks extremely easy at first glance.
However, most people rush into it and end up with the wrong answer.
Let us take a look at the equation: 16 – 4 ÷ 1/4 + 2 = ?
Do you think you can solve it correctly on your first try?
To solve this equation, you must follow the standard order of operations, often known as PEMDAS or BODMAS.
This rule dictates that division and multiplication must always be performed before subtraction and addition.
Looking at the expression, the very first step we need to calculate is the division part: 4 ÷ 1/4.
This is where the most common mistake happens.
Many people misread 4 ÷ 1/4 as 4 ÷ 4, which would equal 1.
However, dividing a whole number by a fraction is not the same as dividing by a whole number.
When you divide any number by a fraction, you multiply that number by the fraction’s reciprocal.
The reciprocal of 1/4 is simply 4.
Therefore, 4 ÷ 1/4 is actually equivalent to 4 × 4.
When you multiply 4 by 4, you get 16.
Now that we have solved the division part, we can substitute 16 back into the original equation.
The equation now becomes a simple step: 16 – 16 + 2 = ?.
At this point, we only have subtraction and addition left to perform.
According to the order of operations, when addition and subtraction are in the same expression, you work simply from left to right.
First, calculate the left side: 16 – 16.
16 – 16 equals 0.
Finally, take that result and add 2: 0 + 2.
0 + 2 gives us a final result of 2.
So, the correct mathematical answer to this viral puzzle is 2!
Did you get 2 on your first attempt, or did you fall into the common fraction trap?
