Challenge: Can you solve this math problem for middle schoolers – without a calculator?
Classic brain training methods like crosswords or sudoku are well-loved. However, I’ve recently become more drawn to the types of challenges like the one you’ll see below. These puzzles have been flooding the web lately, probably because they are really fun!
Can you figure out the correct solution?
Here is the challenge, shown in the picture below.
The correct answer
The correct answer is B: 12.
Why is 12 the correct answer?
If you remember from your school days, according to the order of operations, you do multiplication before addition and subtraction. So, you start by solving 3 x 3, which equals 9.
Next, we have a simpler math problem: 3 + 9 – 3 + 3.
The answer is therefore 12.