Twitter users were engaged in hot debate over a 2nd-grade math problem designed for 7-year-olds.
What seemed to be a straightforward problem caused debate, with an apparent misunderstanding caused by the wording of the question ... or was it? Louise Bloxham, a mom from Bristol, England, explained that the problem was posted on the “Parents against Primary Testing“ Facebook group, where a member assured everyone that the answer according to the book was 46.
This was the burning math question that Louise Bloxham posted on Twitter in mid-2016
It seems what got everyone riled up was Bloxham’s definitive statement: “If you think the answer is 65, you would be wrong.” And thus, the wheels of the debate were in motion. The answers people provided on Twitter for this seemingly simple math problem were rather interesting, even entertaining.
People tried to solve this apparent contradiction, and their answers varied from 0 to 99
There were also funny responses, like this one
And finally a voice of reason
Mathematics is an accurate science with just one answer—provided the question is worded correctly, giving just enough pointers to arrive at the answer. Whilst mathematics as such tends not to be inaccurate, our interpretations and understanding can be!
So anyway, did you arrive at the right answer to the second-grade question above?
