This summer, battle lines were drawn over a simple math problem: 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2) = ? If you divide 8 by 2 first, you get 16, but if you multiply 2 by (2 + 2) first, you get 1. So, which answer is right?

Ever wanted to impress everyone by solving complex multiplication problems in your head, without needing a pencil or paper? It's not magic; it's mental math—a superpower you can learn! This article is ...

As we cannot simplify what is within the bracket, we must instead use the distributive property of this expression. This means that we can rewrite the above ...