At first glance, you might rush to divide or multiply without thinking it through—but the key is remembering to evaluate the parentheses first and then perform division and multiplication strictly from left to right. Many people debate whether the answer is 1 or 9, but there’s only one correct method. Think you know the right result? Read on for a clear, step-by-step breakdown that will settle the argument and sharpen your order-of-operations skills!
How Would You Solve This Simple but Tricky Problem?
Here’s a classic brain-teaser that looks straightforward at first glance but trips many people up:
6 ÷ 2(2 + 1) = ?
Before you scroll down, take a moment and decide on your answer. Are you confident? Leave your guess in the comments and see if your friends come to the same conclusion!
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Common Pitfalls
Even when an expression seems simple, tiny misunderstandings can lead to completely different results. Here are a few mistakes solvers often make:
Ignoring the Parentheses First
Some jump straight into dividing and multiplying without checking what’s inside “(2 + 1).” In fact, evaluating anything inside parentheses comes before anything else.
Misreading Implicit Multiplication
People sometimes treat “2(2 + 1)” as a single chunk or combine it incorrectly with the division sign. That can scramble the order of operations.
Applying Operations Left-to-Right Incorrectly
The rule “multiply and divide from left to right” must be followed—rather than doing all multiplication first or all division first as separate steps. Missing that nuance can produce the wrong final result.
Step-by-Step Explanation
Let’s walk through the puzzle carefully:
Evaluate Inside the Parentheses
- The expression is 6 ÷ 2(2 + 1).
- First, compute (2 + 1) = 3.
- Now the puzzle becomes 6 ÷ 2 × 3.
Perform Division and Multiplication from Left to Right
- According to PEMDAS/BODMAS, after handling parentheses, we do multiplication and division as they appear from left to right.
- Start with 6 ÷ 2 = 3.
- Next, multiply that result by 3: 3 × 3 = 9.
Arrive at the Final Answer
- So the correct value of 6 ÷ 2(2 + 1) is 9.
Join the Discussion
Did you get 9 on your first try, or did you initially think it might be another number? Share your thought process and answer below! Puzzles like this sharpen your understanding of the order of operations, so why not try more? Explore our brain-teasers section to keep boosting your logical reasoning and have fun challenging yourself and friends.
