At first glance, this looks like a simple math question that anyone who remembers middle-school arithmetic should be able to solve. But post 7 − 2(8 − 4) online, and you may find people passionately defending completely different answers. Some say 20, others say 6, while many insist the correct answer is −1. So, who is right?

The secret lies in the order of operations. Before doing anything else, solve the expression inside the parentheses. Since (8-4=4), the original problem becomes (7-2(4)). That first step is straightforward—but the next one is where many people make mistakes.

The number 2 next to the parentheses means multiplication. So, (2(4)=8). Standard order-of-operations rules require this multiplication to be completed before the subtraction. The expression is now much simpler: (7-8).

Finally, subtract 8 from 7, and you get −1. That is the correct answer when the expression is interpreted using standard mathematical conventions. The answer is not 6 because the multiplication cannot be skipped, and it is not 20 because the parentheses must be evaluated first.

Why does this puzzle cause so much confusion? People sometimes remember PEMDAS—Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction—as though each letter represents a strict ranking. In reality, multiplication and division share the same precedence, as do addition and subtraction; operations at the same level are generally evaluated from left to right.

Final answer: −1. Did you solve it correctly on your first try, or did the parentheses make you second-guess yourself? Share your answer and challenge a friend to solve it without looking at the comments!