A simple high school math equation has once again left people scratching their heads online after it began circulating widely. The problem, written as 25 − 5 × 3 + 4 =, looks straightforward at first glance but has produced a wide range of conflicting answers in comment sections.
Many solvers immediately work from left to right, calculating 25 minus 5 to get 20, then multiplying by 3 for 60, and finally adding 4 to reach 64. Others insert different groupings and arrive at numbers such as 10 or even 40.
The confusion stems from forgetting the standard order of operations, often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS or BODMAS. Multiplication and division must be performed before addition and subtraction, working from left to right.
Applying that rule correctly, the multiplication comes first: 5 × 3 equals 15. The equation then simplifies to 25 − 15 + 4.
Subtracting next yields 10, and adding 4 produces the final result of 14.
Once the proper sequence is followed, the once-stumping problem resolves cleanly, reminding many adults of the same lessons they once learned in high school classrooms