Classic brain – training usually involves puzzles like crosswords or sudoku. But recently, I’ve been drawn to the kind of challenge you’ll see below. These puzzles are all over the web because they’re really fun! They’re old – school math problems from middle or high school. Solving them is even more enjoyable when you try to recall the math you learned as a kid.
Can you find the correct number?
Here’s the challenge. In the picture below, there’s a math riddle with three possible answers. Which one do you think is right?
It might seem overwhelming with so many numbers, and you’re not sure where to start. Well, the key to solving this tricky math problem is using the correct order of operations—PEMDAS. It stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction. That’s the order you must follow.
ANSWER
For the given math problem 18 ÷ 3 x (12 – 4) = ?, first solve the operation in the parentheses.
12 – 4 = 8, so the equation becomes 18 ÷ 3 x 8 = ?
Next, 18 ÷ 3 = 6.
Then, 6 x 8 = 48.
So, the final answer is 48!