The 6 – 6 × 6 Math Riddle Solved: Step-by-Step PEMDAS Guide
Simple arithmetic problems regularly go viral on social media platforms because they test how well we remember the fundamental rules of mathematics learned in school.
A viral image that frequently circulates features the following claim and equation:
“Answer is NOT 36!”
6 – 6 × 6
If you’ve ever found yourself debating math problems in comment sections, you know that order of operations is usually where the confusion begins.
Below, we break down the exact mathematical steps using standard mathematical conventions (PEMDAS/BODMAS) to find the correct answer once and for all!
Step-by-Step Mathematical Solution
To evaluate $6 – 6 \times 6$, we must follow the standard order of operations rules (PEMDAS / BODMAS):
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Parentheses / Brackets: None.
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Exponents / Orders: None.
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Multiplication & Division: Calculate $6 \times 6 = 36$.
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Addition & Subtraction: Substitute $36$ back into the expression to get $6 – 36$.
Performing the subtraction:
The Correct Answer is -30!
Common Mistakes Explained
Why do so many people get different answers on social media? Here are the most common traps:
1. Left-to-Right Execution (Getting 0)
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The Mistake: Calculating $(6 – 6) \times 6$.
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Why it’s wrong: People often perform operations simply from left to right as if reading a sentence. Subtracting $6 – 6$ first gives $0$, and $0 \times 6 = 0$. However, multiplication must always take precedence over subtraction unless parentheses explicitly state otherwise.
2. Ignoring the Negative Sign (Getting 30 or 36)
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The Mistake: Forgetting that subtracting $36$ from $6$ yields a negative number.
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Why it’s wrong: Subtracting a larger number ($36$) from a smaller number ($6$) moves to the left of zero on the number line, resulting in $-30$.
Order of Operations Summary (PEMDAS)
| Order | Rule | Application in 6−6×6 | Result |
| 1st | Parentheses & Exponents | None present | $6 – 6 \times 6$ |
| 2nd | Multiplication ($6 \times 6$) | Perform multiplication first | $6 – 36$ |
| 3rd | Subtraction ($6 – 36$) | Perform final subtraction | -30 |
Conclusion
While it’s easy to make a quick calculation mistake when scrolling through social media, applying standard order-of-operations rules reveals that $6 – 6 \times 6 = -30$.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does PEMDAS / BODMAS stand for?
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PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.
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BODMAS: Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction.
Both acronyms teach the exact same hierarchy for solving math problems!
Would parentheses change the answer?
Yes! If written as $(6 – 6) \times 6$, the answer would be 0. If written as $6 – (6 \times 6)$, the answer remains -30.
