These kinds of riddles always seem easier than they actually are. We see a simple row of numbers and arithmetic symbols, but once you start, it turns out to be a bit more difficult. This particular riddle starts with a simple addition, but then multiplication and zeros come into play, and that’s when it starts to get confusing.
Because let’s be honest, what actually happens when you multiply something by zero? And what is the outcome of the whole sum? We’re going to find out step by step.
At first you might think: “Oh, I’ll just add that up.” But there’s a trick hidden. As with many arithmetic problems and riddles, it’s not just about the numbers, but especially about the order in which you calculate them.
The order is important, because it determines the final result. If you miss it, you will probably end up with the wrong answer.
This is what often happens in these puzzles; many people follow the wrong steps and get the wrong answer.
A useful rule to keep in mind with these types of problems is the ‘order of operations.’ The rule is actually quite simple: you start with parentheses, continue with multiplication or division, and end with addition and subtraction.
This is also called the order of operations, or in English: “PEMDAS” (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction). In this puzzle, we have no parentheses or powers, so we start right away with the multiplications.
When we look at the problem – 1 + 1 x 0 + 1 + 0 + 1 x 0 – it seems simple, but once you start applying everything according to the rules, you notice that you have to follow steps to get the right result. Let’s take a look at it step by step.
The first step is to perform the multiplications. In this sum we have two times a multiplication by zero: 1 x 0 and later in the sum again 1 x 0. According to the rules of arithmetic, these parts immediately make zero. Everything that you multiply by zero becomes zero.
This means that the parts 1 x 0 both change to zero. Now we can rewrite the sum without these multiplications, because they no longer have any influence on the outcome.
Now the sum becomes a lot simpler: 1 + 0 + 1 + 0.
After that, it’s just a matter of adding it all together. There’s not much left to get confused about, right? You figure it out step by step, and what’s left?
The funny thing about these kinds of riddles is that they make you think there’s something complicated going on, when in fact the answer is surprisingly simple.
Yet it’s surprising how many people come up with a different answer. Maybe it’s because they forget the order of operations or because they look over the zero and fill in something else.
Once we’ve added all the zeros and ones, we’re left with a simple answer.
And now for the big reveal, the answer is… 2!
Yes, really. A lot of people will get confused here, but it’s still a simple sum if you follow it step by step.