What Is 8 – 8 * 8 + 8? The Correct Answer

The Order of Operations Trap: Breaking Down 8 – 8 * 8 + 8

Viral math problems frequently ignite friendly debates online because they exploit a universal human tendency: reading straight from left to right without pausing to check the rules of mathematical precedence. Expressions that mix addition, subtraction, and multiplication look innocent enough, but they require a strict roadmap to solve correctly.

Let’s walk through the reasoning step by step to see how mathematicians avoid the trap.

Step 1: Identify the Operations and Rules

When evaluating an expression containing multiple types of operations, we rely on the standard order of operations, commonly known as PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) or BODMAS.

Looking at our expression:
8 - 8 * 8 + 8

We have subtraction, multiplication, and addition. According to the rules, multiplication takes precedence over addition and subtraction, meaning it must be calculated before anything else.

Step 2: Execute Multiplication First

Before we touch any plus or minus signs, we must isolate and evaluate the multiplication part of the expression:
8 * 8 = 64

Now, substitute that result back into the expression where the multiplication was:
8 - 64 + 8

Step 3: Evaluate Addition and Subtraction from Left to Right

A common pitfall at this stage is to jump ahead and perform the addition (64 + 8) before the subtraction because addition is listed first in the acronym “PEMDAS/BODMAS.” However, addition and subtraction actually share the exact same priority level. When operations share a priority tier, you must evaluate them strictly from left to right.

First, handle the subtraction on the left side:
8 - 64 = -56

Next, take that intermediate result and perform the final addition:
-56 + 8 = -48

The Final Result

By following the strict rules of mathematical hierarchy rather than just reading straight across, we arrive at the final answer: -48.