Question:
Divide 50 by half and then add 20. What is the answer?
Answer:
The answer is 120
Explanation
This brain teaser might initially seem confusing, but it’s all about understanding the order of operations in mathematics.
First, you’re asked to divide 50 by half. The important distinction here is that “half” represents 1/2. So, dividing 50 by half means dividing it by 1/2. In mathematics, dividing by a fraction is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal. Therefore, dividing 50 by 1/2 is equivalent to multiplying 50 by 2, which equals 100.
It’s crucial not to confuse this operation with simply dividing 50 by 2, which gives a different result of 25. Also, it doesn’t mean dividing 50 by 25, which is the half of 50.
Next, you’re told to add 20. So, add 20 to the result, which is 100. This gives you a final answer of 120.
The key to solving this puzzle is remembering the sequence of operations in mathematics: division (or multiplication by the reciprocal, in this case) before addition. So, the answer is 70.
This brain teaser highlights the importance of following the rules of math, even when the order of operations appears a bit tricky.
