Answer is NOT SIX?

The Trap: How People Arrive at “6”

If you aren’t paying close attention, it is incredibly easy to fall into the exact trap the image creators laid for you. Millions of people look at the expression and calculate it from left to right like they are reading a sentence:

1. They see $7-2$ and immediately subtract it to get $5$.

2. They look at the parentheses: $(8-4)$ equals $4$.

3. They multiply their two results: $5\times 4=$ $20$.

Wait… twenty? Where did the “6” come from then?

Ah, the real trap is an even weirder mental glitch. Many people do the parentheses first: $(8-4)=4$. Then, their eyes wander to the numbers on the left. They see the $7$ and the $2$ and subconsciously think, “Well, $7-2$ is $5$, and $5$ is close to… wait, what if I do $7-(something)$?”

Alternatively, some people misread the expression entirely, treating it as if the $2$ isn’t multiplying the parenthesis, or they completely scramble the Order of Operations. Let’s set the record straight using actual mathematical laws.

The Reality: The Order of Operations

To solve this correctly, we have to dust off standard algebraic rules. Whether you learned it as PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction) or BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction), the hierarchy of math remains exactly the same.

Let’s break down the expression step-by-step:

Step 1: Parentheses / Brackets First

We must always clear what is inside the parentheses first.

• $8-4=4$

Now, substitute that back into our original expression:

Step 2: Multiplication Before Subtraction

This is where the internet breaks down. The term $2(4)$ is implied multiplication—it means $2\times 4$. According to PEMDAS/BODMAS, multiplication must happen before subtraction. You cannot subtract $2$ from $7$ yet.

• $2\times 4=8$

Now, our expression looks like this:

Step 3: The Final Subtraction

Now, we simply subtract $8$ from $7$.

• $7-8=-1$

The absolute, mathematically undeniable answer is $-1$.

Why Do These Traps Go Viral?

So why does the graphic claim the answer is “NOT SIX?”

Because it is rage-bait at its finest. By suggesting “6” is the alternative answer, the creators create double the confusion. People who got $20$ argue with people who got $-1$, while a third group tries to figure out how anyone on earth arrived at $6$in the first place (perhaps by doing $8-4=4$, and then somehow combining the $7$ and $2$ in a fit of mathematical creative writing).

The Anatomy of Viral Rage-Bait: Social media algorithms prioritize engagement. Nothing drives engagement faster than a comment section full of people who are absolutely convinced they are right, arguing with people who are equally convinced they are wrong.

The next time you see a math puzzle like this pop up on your feed, remember: math isn’t subjective, but the internet’s ability to argue about it certainly is.

Did you get $-1$ on your first try, or did the trap catch you off guard?