We all love a good brain teaser, especially when it involves math—whether we admit it or not. A tricky math problem recently went viral, leaving the internet divided and proving once again that even simple-looking equations can be deceptive.
My Math Struggles & A Challenge
Here’s a quick personal anecdote: I recently started preparing for the GRE and realized that I hadn’t taken a formal math class in nearly nine years. Confidence? Gone. My quantitative reasoning skills? Rusty at best. So, I decided to brush up by taking online high school math courses, starting from the absolute basics.
When I came across this viral math puzzle that was stumping the internet, I thought, “This is my moment! Let’s see if I still have my 9th-grade math chops!” Spoiler: I did not.
The Viral Math Puzzle Taking the Internet by Storm
The problem originally surfaced in Japan, where researchers found that only 60% of people in their 20s managed to solve it correctly. It quickly spread online, turning into yet another viral challenge because, apparently, we love testing our brains with tricky equations (or we just enjoy arguing over the answers).
At first glance, the problem looks simple. But the devil is in the details. My gut told me there was some sort of trick involved—it seemed too easy. However, instead of embarrassing myself by attempting it publicly, I turned to the internet for guidance. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that someone, somewhere, has already tackled your problem and made an instructional video about it. So, I spent my morning watching people do math on YouTube. Exciting stuff.
The Math Problem:
6 ÷ 2(1 + 2) = ?
Go ahead, solve it. I’ll wait.
Video : Viral problem from Japan
Common Wrong Answers
If you got 1 or 9, you’re not alone. Many people arrived at these answers because of a little acronym called PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction).
You may remember PEMDAS from school—or perhaps the mnemonic “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.” The rule dictates that you must solve problems in this specific order:
- Parentheses
- Exponents
- Multiplication & Division (from left to right)
- Addition & Subtraction (from left to right)
So, following PEMDAS, some people calculated it as:
- Solve inside the parentheses: (1 + 2) = 3
- Rewrite the problem: 6 ÷ 2(3)
- Some then treated 2(3) as a single term and multiplied first: 6 ÷ 6 = 1
However, others applied division before multiplication:
- 6 ÷ 2 = 3
- Then, 3 × 3 = 9
Both groups were confident in their logic, but only one approach was correct.
The Correct Answer
The correct answer is 9. Here’s why:
Step 1: Solve the Parentheses First
(1 + 2) = 3
Now the equation is rewritten as:
6 ÷ 2(3)
Step 2: Follow the Order of Operations
According to PEMDAS, division and multiplication are performed from left to right (since they share the same level of priority in the hierarchy).
- 6 ÷ 2 = 3
- 3 × 3 = 9
Wait… Isn’t the Answer 1?
Some people argue that implicit multiplication (like 2(3)) takes precedence over division. However, modern mathematical notation treats multiplication and division equally. Since they appear side by side in the equation, we solve left to right.
If the equation had been written as:
6 ÷ (2 × 3)
Then, you would multiply first and get:
6 ÷ 6 = 1
But because the given equation lacks parentheses around 2(3), the correct answer remains 9.
Why People Get It Wrong
The confusion stems from different ways of interpreting notation and how we were taught order of operations. In some older textbooks, implicit multiplication (like 2(3)) was given higher priority than division, leading to the alternative answer of 1. However, under modern mathematical conventions, division and multiplication hold equal weight and should be solved left to right.
Video : 13 Riddles That Are Trickier Than They Seem
Math Rules Are Not Always Universal
Believe it or not, different countries and academic institutions teach math slightly differently. Some older math textbooks might suggest treating multiplication next to parentheses as having higher priority, while others follow the standard left-to-right rule. This is why debates like this never really die down—people were simply taught different methods!
How to Avoid Future Math Confusion
- Always follow the standard order of operations – PEMDAS (or BODMAS, if you learned it that way).
- If in doubt, add brackets – Parentheses make everything clearer and help prevent confusion.
- Be consistent – If you’re solving problems with others, use the same approach so that everyone gets the same answer.
- Check multiple sources – Sometimes, even textbooks disagree. Looking at different explanations can help clarify tricky concepts.
Final Thoughts
This viral math problem is a perfect example of how simple-looking equations can spark endless debate. The way you approach it depends on how you learned math, but if you apply PEMDAS correctly, the answer is 9—at least according to current conventions.
So, did you get it right, or are you questioning everything you thought you knew about math? Either way, at least we can all agree that math is a lot trickier than it looks!
Wealthy Developer Destroys Elderly Man’s Home, Stumbles Upon His Own Childhood Photograph Amidst the Debris
A wealthy man, convinced that money could buy anything, destroyed a poor old man’s house to make way for a shopping mall. Later, while examining the debris, he discovered a childhood photo among the rubble.
Can greed make someone so blind that they harm others to fulfill their own desires? In July 2021, real estate developer Elliot Morris from Florida unintentionally shattered the dreams of an elderly man named Joe Brooke in his pursuit of wealth.
Elliot was searching for the perfect spot to build a fancy mall when he noticed Joe’s property. He was taken with the location and decided it would be the ideal place for his new project. Elliot chose to demolish Joe’s house to clear the land. When Joe protested, Elliot dismissed him as just an obstacle that could easily be removed.
Joe pleaded with Elliot, explaining that the house held precious memories of his late wife and that he had nowhere else to go. However, Elliot ignored Joe’s desperate requests. He informed Joe that he had already received approval from the mayor and planned to start the demolition in two weeks, leaving Joe with no choice but to leave.
Despite his fears, Joe refused to accept any money in exchange for his cherished home. As the deadline approached, he hoped for a miracle, but the day of demolition arrived too quickly.
When Elliot returned with his workers and heavy machinery, Joe once again begged him not to tear down his house. Elliot coldly reminded Joe that he had already given him a deadline and handed him a check, showing no concern for Joe’s situation.
Elliot ordered one of his workers to take Joe to a nursing home and insisted that Joe take the money, but Joe refused. With tears in his eyes, Joe told Elliot that he had let greed consume him, reminding him that money could not buy everything. Elliot dismissed Joe’s words and watched with satisfaction as his workers demolished the house. He felt a sense of triumph as he saw the building fall to the ground.
Later that day, Elliot returned to the site to celebrate his achievement. As he walked over the ruins, he stumbled upon the shattered glass of a photo frame. Picking it up, he recognized the image of his mother holding a baby.
Confused, Elliot realized this was a photo of him as a child, and he wondered how it had ended up in Joe’s home. Driven by curiosity, he immediately went to the nursing home to confront Joe. When Joe saw Elliot, he was upset, expecting more trouble. But Elliot showed him the photo he had found. He wanted to know how Joe had the picture of his mother.
Joe explained that he had found Elliot’s mother, Samantha, on the street 30 years ago, struggling in the rain with a baby in her arms. Joe had just come from his wife’s funeral and felt compelled to help her.
Joe shared that he had taken Samantha in, as she had been thrown out by her boyfriend. For five years, Samantha lived with Joe, who treated her like family. Eventually, Joe helped her get back on her feet, enabling her to start her own business and build a life for herself.
Elliot felt his heart break as Joe spoke, realizing that he had been unaware of the love and support Joe had given his mother. Overwhelmed with guilt, Elliot decided to make amends. The next day, he put up a sign on Joe’s old property and began constructing a new home for him.
Within a few months, a beautiful house replaced the one Elliot had destroyed. Elliot gifted this new home to Joe, sincerely apologizing for his past ignorance. Joe, however, refused any additional help, saying he would only accept the house and wanted nothing else but Elliot’s love. Joe moved into his new home, leading a simple life. He inspired Elliot, teaching him that compassion and love matter more than wealth.
In the end, Elliot decided to use his resources to help others by building retirement homes for those in need. He learned to respect people’s homes and dreams, vowing never to harm anyone for personal gain again. The story reminds us of two important lessons: never destroy someone else’s happiness to fulfill your own dreams and strive to create something beneficial for others when you have the chance.
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