A new math puzzle has been circulating around the Internet, and it’s causing many fights between people who think they have the right answer. While most people think they’ve solved the problem in only a few seconds, 99 percent of people don’t actually discover the correct answer. To find the solution to the problem, you have to pay attention to the details.
The problem looks straightforward at first. There are three math equations set up using fruit, and you have to determine what number each fruit corresponds to. Then, you have to complete one more equation using the correct numbers for each fruit. The math is relatively simple, and it’s easy to come to the conclusion that an apple is 10, a bunch of bananas is 4, and a coconut is 2.
For the final equation, you must add up an apple, a bunch of bananas, and a coconut. Almost everyone believes the answer is 16, but surprisingly, the answer is 14. This solution has been stumping almost everybody across the Internet, and many people leave comments defending their answer. Although some people don’t want to believe that the answer is 14, you can understand the solution if you pay close attention to the details in the image.
In the first equations, each bunch of bananas has four bananas. However, in the final equation where you must add each together, the bunch only has three bananas. Therefore, that bunch of bananas corresponds to the number 3 instead of 4. Also, the coconut in the first equations has two halves, but the final equation only shows one half. Therefore, the coconut in the final equation corresponds to the number 1. To find the solution, you have to add 10+3+1, which equals 14.
Even people who are excellent problem solvers and critical thinkers have struggled with this puzzle. Sometimes, the only way to solve a problem is by looking for small details rather than only focusing on the math.