Do you enjoy solving fun math riddles in your free time?
Here is a quick brain teaser written on lined paper that will test your basic math skills.
The puzzle presents a simple story about a girl named Emma.
When someone asked Emma her age, she did not just say a plain number.
Instead, she replied with a mathematical expression: 50 + 10 x 0 + 7 + 2.
The main question asks: “How old is Emma?”
At first glance, this expression looks like something you can easily calculate from left to right.
However, if you calculate it straight from left to right, you might make a common mistake.
To find Emma’s true age, you need to follow the fundamental order of operations in mathematics.
The order of operations is often remembered by acronyms like PEMDAS or BODMAS.
This rule states that multiplication and division must always be performed before addition and subtraction.
Let us break down Emma’s answer step by step.
The expression contains four numbers linked by addition and multiplication signs.
First, identify the multiplication part in the expression, which is 10 x 0.
According to the rules of arithmetic, any number multiplied by zero equals zero.
So, 10 x 0 evaluates to 0.
Now, replace 10 x 0 with 0 in the original expression.
The expression now becomes 50 + 0 + 7 + 2.
Since all remaining operations are additions, you can now add the numbers together from left to right.
First, add 50 + 0, which equals 50.
Next, add 7 to 50, which gives 57.
Finally, add 2 to 57, which results in 59.
Therefore, the final value of the expression is 59.
Logically, Emma is 59 years old.
This puzzle is a great reminder of why mathematical rules like the order of operations matter.
Without following the proper order, a simple equation can lead to completely wrong results.
Did you manage to get the correct answer on your first try?
