A simple maths puzzle has been leaving people stumped as they can’t agree on the correct answer – can you work it out?
This puzzle might not be as simple as it looks.
Brain teasers and other puzzles can do wonders for our cognitive function, as they help to reduce the risk of dementia and can improve the connection between your brain cells. What’s more, they’ve even been proven to boost your mood and reduce stress, thanks to the dopamine that’s released in your brain when you successfully solve one.
One puzzle, however, might not have the calming effect you’re looking for – as it’s actually left those who try to solve it frustrated as they end up arguing with others about the correct answer.
The question might seem simple, but the way it’s written makes it more confusing than it looks, and it’s been going viral on social media after several people noted multiple possible answers.
Think you’ve got what it takes to solve it correctly? Give it a go for yourself.
READ MORE ‘Impossible’ maths puzzle for children leaves adults stumped
The puzzle was shared on TikTok by a couple called Jennie and Nick, who regularly post brain teasers on their account. This one seemed like a simple maths question at first.
In the video, Nick asked his wife: “Divide 200 by half and add 100. What do you get?” Jennie was adamant the answer should be 200. After all, half of 200 is 100, and adding another 100 would give you 200 again. However, Nick continued to tell her that 200 was not the correct answer – leaving her frustrated as she declared there was no other possible solution to the question.
@jennieandnickspuzzles
The struggle is real #reels #math #funny #couple #puzzle
original sound – Jennie and Nicks Brainteasers
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The tricky wording of the question is what makes this particular maths puzzle so hard to solve. “Divide 200 by half” is incredibly ambiguous, and it isn’t the way any actual equation would be worded or written out.
You could take it to mean that you need to half 200, for which the correct equation would be 200 divided by 2, but as Nick pointed out in the video, that isn’t the right way to solve it.
So what else can you do? The video unfortunately never actually tells us what the answer is, but depending on how you read the question there are actually two other solutions that could be possible.
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The most common solution people reached in the comments of the video was 500. You can get to this total by taking “divide 200 by half” to mean that you need to divide by the number commonly known as half, which is 0.5.
When you divide by a number less than one, the answer actually increases. Two hundred divided by 0.5 is 400, as you can fit 0.5 into 200 a total of 400 times. Then you add the 100 in the sum to give you 500 as the answer.
But others pointed out you can also take “divide 200 by half” to mean that you divide 200 by half of 200. In this version of the sum, you’re doing 200 divided by 100, which is 2. Then adding 100 gives you 102.
Which answer do you think is right? Let us know in the comments.
Sourse: www.express.co.uk
