Three students are arguing over one equation on the board, and each of them is completely sure about their answer. Can you settle the debate?
Every classroom has had this moment. The teacher writes a short equation on the board, and within seconds the room splits into groups, each one certain that the others are wrong. In this quick math puzzle, you will see exactly that scene: 3 + 6 × 2 ÷ 3 − 1 × 0 = ?
One student says the answer is 0. Another says it is 7. A third student, standing in the middle with a worried face, thinks it is 5. They cannot all be right, and in fact only one of them is. Your job is to look at the equation, remember the rules you learned in school, and decide who wins the argument.
(Also read: Can You Find the Missing Number in This Tricky Number Series? Most People Guess Wrong – PV002
Classroom Math Debate: Who Is Right About 3 + 6 × 2 ÷ 3 − 1 × 0?
At first glance, the equation looks friendly because it only has small numbers. But it mixes four different operations in one line, and that is where the trouble starts. The zero at the end is especially tricky. Some people see it and think the whole answer must become zero. Others forget about it completely and stop reading the line too early.
Here is a small hint before you check the answer. Mathematics has a fixed order for solving a line like this, and it does not always move from left to right. Some operations must be done first, even if they appear later in the line. Try to find those operations, solve them separately, and only then put everything back together.
Take your time and write each step on paper. Most mistakes in puzzles like this happen when people try to solve the whole line in their head in one go.
Show Answer
Classroom Math Debate: Who Is Right About 3 + 6 × 2 ÷ 3 − 1 × 0?
Correct Answer: 7
Explanation:
Follow the standard order of operations (BODMAS / PEMDAS). Multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction. When multiplication and division sit next to each other, you solve them from left to right.
- First, solve the multiplication and division from left to right: 6 × 2 = 12, then 12 ÷ 3 = 4.
- Next, solve the last multiplication: 1 × 0 = 0.
- Now the equation becomes: 3 + 4 − 0.
- Add and subtract: 3 + 4 = 7, and 7 − 0 = 7.
So the student who said 7 is right.
Why the others went wrong:
- The student who said 0 solved everything from left to right and then multiplied the whole thing by zero. The zero only belongs to the 1 next to it, not to the entire line.
- The student who said 5 also worked from left to right: 3 + 6 = 9, 9 × 2 = 18, 18 ÷ 3 = 6, and 6 − 1 = 5. That student then forgot the final × 0.
Why These Debates Go Viral
Short equations that start arguments spread quickly online because everyone feels they can solve them, and everyone feels sure about their own answer. The real lesson behind them is simple: the order of operations is a rule that the whole world agrees on, so calculators and teachers always follow it in the same way.
A few easy tips for your next equation puzzle:
- Never solve a line only from left to right. Look at the whole line first.
- Circle the multiplication and division parts and solve them before anything else.
- Remember that a zero only changes the number it is multiplied with, not the whole line.
- Rewrite the equation after every step so you do not lose track.
Try This Bonus Puzzle
Here is one more quick equation for you. Solve it using the same rules:
10 − 2 × 3 + 8 ÷ 4 = ?
Show Answer
Correct Answer: 6
First, 2 × 3 = 6 and 8 ÷ 4 = 2. The equation becomes 10 − 6 + 2. Then 10 − 6 = 4, and 4 + 2 = 6.
If you got both answers right, share this puzzle with a friend and start a friendly debate of your own. If you missed one, do not worry. Every equation you solve makes the rules easier to remember.
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