Picture equation puzzles love to test both your algebra skills and your attention to order of operations! While calculating the values of the burger and fries seems straightforward, the order of operators in the final line catches most people off guard.

Take a close look at the image above: Can you solve the final line without using a calculator?

Step-by-Step Breakdown & Solution

Let’s solve the system of equations line by line:

1. Line 1:

   Burger + Fries = 60

2. Line 2:

   Burger – Fries = 20

3. Finding the Values:

   • Adding Line 1 and Line 2 together:

     (Burger + Fries) + (Burger – Fries) = 60 + 20

     2 x Burger = 80 -> Burger = 40

   • Substituting the Burger value back into Line 1:

     40 + Fries = 60 -> Fries = 20

4. Line 3 (The Final Equation):

   Fries + Burger x 3 = ?

   20 + 40 x 3

5. Applying PEMDAS / Order of Operations:

   • Multiplication comes before addition:

     40 x 3 = 120

   • Add the remaining value:

     20 + 120 = 140

(Common Mistake: Adding first gives 20 + 40 = 60, then 60 x 3 = 180, which ignores the rules of order of operations!)

The correct answer is 140!