Sometimes the simplest things turn out to be the hardest

Sometimes the simplest things turn out to be the hardest 🤓. We invite you to test yourself, give the correct answer, and refresh your memory with those long‑forgotten lessons from old school textbooks 📗. The right answer is in the first comment below 👇👇👇

Often the simplest tasks prove the most challenging—and today we’re not talking about the recipe for human happiness or the secrets of atomic nuclei. Instead, let’s revisit the order of operations with examples we first learned in elementary school. These basic math rules should stay with us for life.

Yet millions of people online constantly struggle with seemingly trivial expressions. The astonishing variety of answers calls into question mathematics as an exact science. Let’s give you a chance to test your knowledge, name the correct result, and relive those school‑day lessons.

When I first saw this problem on Facebook, I was honestly stunned. Almost 8 million comments on a three‑step arithmetic problem? What’s there to argue about? It’s just math!

But reality often outdoes our wildest imaginations. The answers users post are downright baffling. Let’s look at some of the most common, preserving their original tone and style.

• One commenter claims: “I think everyone commenting has at least finished fourth grade. Thank goodness I did. 10 − 10 × 10 + 10 = 0 × 10 + 10 = 0 + 10 = 10.”

• Another agrees: “The correct answer is 10.” Sure, 10 is a nice number in numerology, promising luck and happiness. But does it fit here?

• Scrolling further: “It’s very simple. We do (10 – 10) × (10 + 10) = 0 × 20 = 0, since any number times zero is zero. The result is 0!”

• “According to the rules, first 10 × 10 = 100. Then 10 – 100 = –90, and –90 + 10 = –80.” The first step is hard to argue with, but the logic breaks down afterward.

• Savvy users even turned to Google Calculator for guidance. It bracketed 10 × 10 and gave “–80.”

The order of operations follows two simple rules: perform multiplication/division before addition/subtraction, and work left to right. With no parentheses here, we start with multiplication:

Now only addition and subtraction remain, processed left to right. Subtraction comes first:

And finally, the addition:

Answer: –80. What did you get? Did we miss something? Share your thoughts below.

P.S. Remember the recent viral debate over 8 / 2 (2 + 2) = ? The arguments over whether it equals 16 or 1 are still raging.