Do you enjoy solving fun math brainteasers?
Look at the handwritten equation on the paper: 24 ÷ 4 × (3 + 5) – 6.
At first glance, it looks like a simple primary school math problem.
However, many people get the wrong answer because they forget the correct order of operations.
To solve this correctly, we must follow the standard math rule known as PEMDAS or BODMAS.
This rule tells us the exact steps to take when evaluating any expression.
First, we always calculate the part inside the parentheses or brackets.
Inside the parentheses, we have 3 + 5.
Adding 3 and 5 gives us 8.
Now, we can replace the parentheses with the number 8.
Our equation becomes 24 ÷ 4 × 8 – 6.
Next, we look for multiplication and division.
A common mistake is thinking that multiplication must always come before division.
In reality, multiplication and division have equal priority.
We must perform them from left to right, in the exact order they appear.
Moving from left to right, the first operation we see is division: 24 ÷ 4.
Dividing 24 by 4 gives us 6.
Now, we substitute 6 back into our equation.
The expression now simplifies to 6 × 8 – 6.
Next, we perform the multiplication step.
We multiply 6 by 8.
Calculating 6 × 8 gives us 48.
Our equation is now reduced to a simple subtraction problem: 48 – 6.
Finally, we perform the last step, which is subtraction.
Subtracting 6 from 48 leaves us with 42.
Therefore, the final correct answer is 42.
By following the logical order of operations step by step, we avoid confusion and find the right solution.
