“Nobody Has Been Able to Get It Right”: Viral Photo of Mathematics Question Sparks Debate Online

A young lady on the X app recently posted a photo of a mathematical equation that caused a serious controversy.

The equation, “60 ÷ 5(7-4) =” prompted users to provide their answers in the comments section of the X post shared by @moyosco0000.

Viral photo of Maths question
Photo credit: @moyoscooooo/Twitter, Brooke Fasani/ Getty Images.
Depicted person has no relationship with story. Photo used for illustration only.Source: UGC

Equation with conflicting answers goes viral on X

However, the conflicting responses from netizens led to a heated debate among them in the comments section.

The disagreement stemmed from the order of operations as outlined by the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, and Addition and Subtraction).

Some users argued that the answer was 36, as they believed the division should be performed first, resulting in 60 ÷ 5 = 12, and then multiplying by the result of the parentheses, 12(7-4) = 12(3) = 36.

On the other hand, those who supported the answer of 4 contended that the multiplication should be done before the division, resulting in 5(7-4) = 5(3) = 15, and then dividing 60 by 15, resulting in 60 ÷ 15 = 4.

Twitter users engage in heated Mathematics debate

As the debate rages on, Twitter users continue to engage in passionate discussions, defending their respective answers and citing mathematical principles.

@mamuzoADUMS said:

“4. That’s the only answer.”

@drteepie reacted:

“I know BODMAS is the most popular method we have been taught here but not all problems could be solved using BODMAS. The question really is what value are you trying to create? For instance, PEDMAS = 36 BODMAS = 4.”

@Silvangit reacted:

“60 ÷ 5(7 – 4). Using BODMAS. 60 ÷ 5(3) 12(3). 36.”

@Item66 said:

“Scrolling through comments and nobody has been able to get the right answer.”

@Saninrooks commented:

“Only genuises can get this. BODMAS.”

@MartmagMS commented:

“It’s pathetic many people who only did little mathematics are misrepresenting and misinterpreting the question. You need to understand something rightly!”