Decoding the Internet’s Favorite Math Trap: What Really is $8 – 8 times 8 + 8$?

Every few weeks, a simple arithmetic expression pops up on social media, sparking thousands of heated comments, furious debates, and confident declarations of completely different answers. At first glance, it looks like elementary school math. But expressions like $8 – 8 times 8 + 8$ are designed to test a fundamental rule of mathematics: the order of operations.

If you’ve ever stared at a problem like this and wondered whether to go strictly left to right or tackle the multiplication first, you are not alone. Let’s break down this viral math puzzle step-by-step, uncover the correct answer, and see why so many people get it wrong.

The Golden Rule: PEMDAS / BODMAS

Before solving our equation, let’s recall the universal hierarchy of math operations, commonly known by acronyms like PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) or BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction):

1. Parentheses / Brackets (None here)
2. Exponents / Orders (None here)
3. Multiplication and Division (Evaluated from left to right)
4. Addition and Subtraction (Evaluated from left to right)

With these rules in our toolkit, let’s dive into the expression:

$$8 – 8 times 8 + 8$$

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Step 1: Tackle Multiplication First

Looking at the expression, we have subtraction, multiplication, and addition. According to our rules, multiplication takes absolute priority over addition and subtraction.

First, we calculate $8 times 8$:
$$8 times 8 = 64$$

Now, substitute that result back into the original expression:
$$8 – 64 + 8$$

Step 2: Evaluate Addition and Subtraction Left-to-Right

A very common misconception is that addition always comes before subtraction because the ‘A’ comes before the ‘S’ in PEMDAS. In reality, addition and subtraction share the exact same priority level and must be evaluated strictly from left to right.