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Mastering the Order of Operations: Can You Crack This Puzzle?
Order of Operations Puzzle Overview & Step-by-Step Solution
This viral math puzzle is designed to challenge common misconceptions regarding the order of operations, specifically how multiplication and division are prioritized from left to right. The text on the image (“The answer is NOT 3!”) intentionally hints at a common trap people fall into when evaluating the expression.
Step-by-Step Breakdown
* Analyze the Expression:
* Apply the Order of Operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS):
* Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are involved. Multiplication and division have higher precedence than addition and subtraction.
* When multiplication and division appear consecutively in an expression, they are evaluated strictly from left to right.
* Perform Multiplication and Division (Left to Right):
* First, evaluate the multiplication 3 \times 3:
* Next, substitute that back into the expression and perform the division by 3 (9 \div 3):
* Perform Addition:
* Substitute the result of the multiplication/division sequence back into the original expression:
The final correct answer is 6.