Here's another maths problem that's confusing the hell out of the internet
It’s been a couple of months since our last instalment of “Maths Questions We Should Know How To Answer.”
In light of that, yet another apparently simple maths puzzle is boggling adults' minds worldwide.
Latest News India posed the following challenge on its LinkedIn page earlier htis month and it's since been shared thousands of times:
The equation is as follows: 60 + 60 x 0 + 1 = ?
Options for answers are:
A. 1
B. 61
C. 122
People on LinkedIn are having some trouble deciding...
So let’s break it down:
Method 1
One way to approach this equation is quite simply to add, multiply, add:
60 +60 = 120
120 x 0 = 0
0 + 1 = 1
The problem with this method, as users have pointed out, is that it does not follow the order of operations (Brackets, Open, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction), or Bodmas as you probably learned in school.
Method 2
Right, so following the rules of Bodmas, the first operation we can use for the equation is multiply:
60 x 0 = 0
Next is addition so:
0 + 60 + 1 = 61
The answer then, is 61.
Why do these maths problems keep going viral?
According to psychologists we are living in an age of narcissism, a time of self-obsession.
Online quizzes, maths problems and the “do you see this animal hidden in the picture” photos provide a sense of instant gratification.
Social media encourages you to participate and share your success with potentially millions of anonymous people. A key trait of narcissism is the need for admiration and attention.
What did you think the answer was? Let us know, below:
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