Good morning! I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll mention it again—finding illusions that havent already been posted on the site before is getting pretty tricky! I mean, we’ve done them all it seems, from the classic illusions to the more obscure ones, Photoshopped gems to perfectly timed photographs. I know you guys get a little frustrated some days and ask “well, where’s the illusion?” or tell me “this isn’t really an illusion!” Trust me, I feel your pain…
Anyway, today I decided to mix it up a bit with a fun little math brain teaser! Well, fun for us nerds anyway…
So, here it is:
The method of solving this math brain teaser is really simple. Just do as the instructions say and move just one of the matchsticks above to make the equation correct. Actualy solving it, on the other hand, is a whole ‘nother story! It can be a little tricky.
As you can see, the equation reads 8+3-4=0, which we know from elementary school math class is wrong of course! It’s up to us to figure out this math brain teaser and make it correct. Can you figure out the solution by moving just one of the matchsticks? You have to actually move the matchstick and not remove it. The matchstick must be placed somewhere else in the equation.
I’m not going to give you the answer just yet (where’s the fun in that?!) but I will tell you that there is more than one solution to this little math brain teaser…
8 + 3 – 11 = 0
8 – 3 – 4 ≠ 0
0 + 3 – 4 ≠ 0
9+3-4=8
So, it has four possible solutions. Would there be another one?
6+3-9=0
9+3-4=8
8+3-11=0
I don’t think the “not equal to” is in the spirit of the challenge.
Why not? If it isn’t prohibited then it is permitted.
They are valid solutions. I just mean in the spirit of the challenge, because you could do
8-3-4≠0
8+34≠0
6+3-4≠0
9+3-4≠0
0+3-4≠0
by just making it not equal.
9 + 3 – 4 ≠ 0
6 + 3 – 4 ≠ 0
Es muy Bueno!!
Tricky!
Original Problem: 8 + 3 – 4 =0
Remove a matchstick in the number four, thus making it:
8 + 3 – 11= 0