Simple matters of addition are usually considered child’s play.
What if you arrange a couple of laughably easy equations in a specific order and then add a logical question to them? Then they can become a real puzzler.
Take a look at the math puzzle below and see what you make of it. Bear in mind though: As is so often the case in life, more than one solution is possible!
Mull it over a few minutes and then write down your answer.
Don’t cheat by scrolling down, however!
Alright, pencils down. Have you reached a solution?
This is the correct answer:
Here is how we can break it down:
1 + 4 = 5. No argument there, right?
Then you add 2 + 5 and you get 7. And then, you add 5 (the sum of the previous equation) to this number, and you get 12.
Apply the same formula: add 3 + 6 and get 9, then add the 9 to the sum you got before, 12. Now you have a total of 21.
Finally, you take the 8 + 11 in the last equation to get 19. Then you add that number to the sum of the previous equation (21). Your total now? 40!
Was 40 your answer? Good job! But as we said before, there is more than one correct answer to this problem. Here’s another one:
96, how come? Here’s how we got to that number:
1 + 4 = 5. This one we just can’t argue with.
From now on, you multiply the second number with the first number in the equation. In this instance, 2 + 5 ( x 2) = 12.
3 + 6 ( x 3) = 21.
And finally, we get to 8 + 8 ( x 11) and come to a total of … 96!
What answer to did get? Was it one of those two numbers? If so, congratulations! You’ve passed today’s math test with flying colors.
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