A Maths Puzzle Taking Social Media by Storm
Hey, did you hear? A maths puzzle is going viral on social media, and its answer is not at all what you are thinking!
Sometimes while scrolling, we come across a puzzle that seems simple, but there is a fun twist hidden inside. This one starts like this:
- 3 x 3 = 12
- 4 x 4 = 20
- 5 x 5 = 30
So tell me, what will be the result of 8 x 8?
Don’t Fall for the Obvious Answer
Think a little… if your first answer is “64”, then understand that you have fallen into the hidden trick of this puzzle! It is not based on normal multiplication. Let’s understand the logic step-by-step.
Step-by-Step Solution to the Puzzle
First of all, let us see that 3 x 3 = 12. Actually 3 x 3 = 9. So how does 9 become 12? Simple, 9 + 3 = 12. Meaning multiply the number and then add the same number.
Now let us check 4 x 4 = 20. In normal maths, 4 x 4 = 16. 16 + 4 = 20. Well, the pattern matches.
Then let us see 5 x 5 = 30. The actual answer is 25 and 25 + 5 = 30.
The Hidden Logic Revealed
So the rule is simple: (n x n) + n. Meaning multiply the number by itself and add the same number to it.
Solving for 8 x 8
Now the final question: answer to 8 x 8?
- 8 x 8 = 64.
- 64 + 8 = 72.
That's it! This logic will give the answer 72.
Why This Puzzle Is So Engaging
A great puzzle, which shows that we don't always need to focus on the obvious things, sometimes we need to focus on the hidden logic too.