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

The Trap of Order of Operations: Solving 8 – 8 × 8 + 8

Math puzzles and expression strings pop up on social media feeds all the time, often sparking intense debates in the comments. A classic example of this is the expression: 8 – 8 × 8 + 8.

At first glance, it looks harmless—just a few eights and some basic arithmetic. Yet, many people end up with completely different answers. Let’s break down the math step-by-step to find the correct solution and see why this expression trips so many people up.

The Answer Upfront

If you calculate it using the standard mathematical rules, the final answer is -48.

If you got something else—like 0 or 16—don’t worry! You fell into one of the common order-of-operations traps. Let’s look at how to solve it correctly.

The Golden Rule: PEMDAS / BODMAS

To solve any mathematical expression containing mixed operations, we rely on the universal order of operations, commonly remembered by acronyms like PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) or BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction).