Please don't use A calculator....

The Correct Solution: Trusting PEMDAS / BODMAS

To find the true answer to the equation, you have to apply the mathematical rulebook: PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction) or BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction).

According to this rule, multiplication must always be performed before addition or subtraction, regardless of where it appears in the sentence.

Let’s break down the equation correctly:

• Step 1 (Multiplication First): Isolate the multiplication part of the problem ($25\times 0$). Anything multiplied by zero is zero.

  $$25\times 0=0$$

• Step 2 (Rewrite the Equation): Substitute that zero back into the original line up.

  $$50+50-0+2+2$$

• Step 3 (Addition & Subtraction Left-to-Right): Now that only addition and subtraction are left, you can safely calculate from left to right.

  • $50+50=100$

  • $100-0=100$

  • $100+2=102$

  • $102+2=104$

The correct mathematical answer is 104.

The Psychology of the Internet Math Puzzle

Why do these puzzles continue to flood our feeds and spark heated debates? It comes down to cognitive bias and confirmation hole traps. When someone arrives at "4" using the simple left-to-right method, they feel confident. When someone else jumps into the comments insisting the answer is "104," it creates instant friction.

By forcing us to override our natural instinct to read left-to-right, image like this one serve as a friendly reminder that even the simplest math requires us to slow down and remember the rules we learned back in grade school.

So, did your brain get it right on the first try, or did the order of operations catch you off guard