Arithmetic
Trick Questions that Don't involve Calculations
Some Calculations & Basic Questions
Math in the Real World
Media/Games Mixed with Math
100

8+7+8+7+8+7+8+7

60

100

There are seven apples and you take away three of them. How many apples do you have? 

The answer is three because that’s how many apples you took.

100

What is the only number that has the same number of letters as its meaning?

Four
100

Intersectional Analysis is a way to evaluate how multiple variables influence the accuracy of this surveillance technology that has been shown to struggle on darker faces (faces of people of color)

Facial Recognition 

100

In the movie 'Inception', characters experience time differently in each dream layer. If time is multiplied by a factor of 20 each layer deeper, and the first layer's dream lasts 10 minutes, how long does it feel in the second layer?

200 minutes or 3 hours and 20 minutes. 

200

100 - (100 - 64 - 36) 

100

200

When does 9+5=2?

Find a way to make this equation true.

Hint: It's used in the real world all the time. 

This equation is correct when we think in terms of time: 9 a.m. + 5 hours = 2 p.m.

200

Although the exact origin is unknown, this piece of technology and calculating tool used beans or stones moved in grooves of sand to perform calculations. Although computers have mostly replaced it, this tool is still in use for teaching arithmetic to children in many parts of the world. What is it?

The Abacus 

200

Often exhibiting repetitive patterns of similar structures at smaller and larger scales studied since the 1970's. These repetitive patterns can be found in plants, space and other geometrical structures.

Hint: The Mandelbrot Set illustrates these patterns. 

Fractals 

200

In the game 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild', players can cook dishes that add a percentage boost to their speed. If Link's base speed is 100 and he eats a dish boosting his speed by 30%, what is his new speed?

What is 130?

300

12x13

156

300

Multiply this number with any other number and you will always get the same answer. What’s the number?

Zero 0
300

Although the word is often used in popular culture to reference a specific film franchise, technically the definition of a certain math term is "a rectangular array or table of numbers, symbols, or expressions, arranged in rows and columns." What is this term?

The Matrix or "Matrix"

300

This mathematical operation is used when you need to find out how many times a team can play if each team in the league plays every other team exactly once. It’s a handy calculation for organizing sports tournaments.

What is a combination?

300

In the 1999 movie 'The Matrix', there are scenes featuring streams of numbers raining down computer screens, symbolizing the digital reality. If each column shows numbers at a rate of 2 numbers per second and lasts for 10 seconds, how many numbers are displayed in a single column throughout the scene?

What is 20 numbers?" (Multiplying 2 numbers per second by 10 seconds gives 20 numbers per column.)

400

133 divided by 19 

7

400

How many sides does a circle have?

The answer is two: inside and outside.

400

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes offers a 24-ounce box of cereal. If a single serving consists of 1.5 ounces, how many complete servings can be made from one box?

16 Servings 

400

In this popular sandbox video game, players often use basic arithmetic to calculate the number of resources needed to build structures and create items. The game's name is also associated with a block-based design.

What is Minecraft?

400

In 'Super Mario Bros.', if Mario collects 100 coins, he earns an extra life. Assuming Mario begins a level with 5 lives and during his playthrough, he collects 450 coins, how many total lives does Mario have by the end of that level?

What is 9 lives?" (450 coins divided by 100 equals 4 extra lives, added to the original 5 lives makes a total of 9 lives.)

500

5+3-3+0+15-5+2-7

10

500

One grandmother, two mothers, and two daughters went on a trip to the zoo together and bought one ticket each. How many tickets did they buy?

The answer is three. The grandmother is also a mother and the mother is also a daughter. So, there were only three people.

500

After many calculations and proofs throughout ages this very important planet was known to man geometrically as an "oblate spheroid" or "in the shape of ostrich egg".

Later, on Social Media a new following was created where claimed that it was in the shape of a disc! What is this idiotic theory called?

Flat Earth Theory 

500

In social media marketing, this mathematical ratio compares the number of followers an account has with the number of interactions (likes and comments) to assess user engagement. What is this ratio called?

What is engagement rate?

500

In the 'Harry Potter' series, if a wizard needs to brew a potion requiring 6 drops of Dragon Blood per 100 milliliters of potion base, and they need to prepare 450 milliliters of potion for a spell, how many drops of Dragon Blood are required?

What is 27 drops?" (450 milliliters divided by 100 milliliters gives 4.5, and multiplying 4.5 by 6 drops per 100 milliliters equals 27 drops.)