Can You Solve This Without a Calculator? 100 − 50 − 1 × 2 = ?

Here’s a simple-looking math puzzle that has sparked plenty of arguments:

100 − 50 − 1 × 2 = ?

No calculator allowed. Just use your brain!

At first glance, some people work from left to right and get:

100 − 50 = 50
50 − 1 = 49
49 × 2 = 98

But that isn’t how the standard order of operations works.

Multiplication comes before subtraction.

So we calculate:

1 × 2 = 2

Then:

100 − 50 − 2 = 48

Therefore, the correct answer is:

48

It’s a great reminder that even an easy-looking equation can catch us off guard when we forget the basic rules of mathematics.

Did you get 48 on your first try, or did you get 98?