Every few weeks, a deceptively simple-looking arithmetic expression pops up on social media, instantly dividing comment sections into warring camps. People are ready to passionately defend answers ranging from zero to infinity over just four numbers and a few symbols.
Today, we are diving into one of these classic internet traps: 8 – 8 * 8 + 8.
If you glance at it quickly, your brain might automatically group things together or scan straight across from left to right. But mathematics has strict grammar rules to ensure everyone arrives at the same conclusion. Let’s break down the math step-by-step to find out what this expression actually equals.
The Short Answer
Spoiler alert—the correct answer is -48.
If you got zero, 64, or something else entirely, you aren’t alone! These problems are specifically designed to exploit common misconceptions about how math rules work.
Step 1: Multiplication Takes Priority
To solve this correctly, we rely on the universal order of operations, commonly remembered by acronyms like PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) or BODMAS.
Looking at our expression:
$$8 – 8 times 8 + 8$$
There are no parentheses or exponents, so we move straight to multiplication and division. The multiplication part of our equation is 8 * 8.
- $8 times 8 = 64$
Now, substitute that result back into our expression. Our equation transforms into:
$$8 – 64 + 8$$
Step 2: Addition and Subtraction (Left to Right)
This is where most people make their mistake. A common misinterpretation of PEMDAS is that addition always comes before subtraction because the “A” comes before the “S.”
In reality, addition and subtraction share the exact same priority level. When you have a string of them, you must evaluate them strictly from left to right.
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