Alright, dear reader, I have a confession to make. This article is specifically designed to confuse you, make you question your life choices, and ultimately force you to the bitter end. You probably won’t solve this one correctly on the first try. No, really, you won’t. But that’s precisely why you can’t stop reading now. Reverse psychology at its finest.

Let me present to you our unsuspecting hero – a seemingly simple mathematical riddle:

7 + 6 ÷ 3 × 4 − 2 = 🍎

Looks innocent, doesn’t it? Like a regular math problem dressed up in an apple costume. But beware! This riddle is trickier than convincing your grandma that the Internet isn’t just a passing fad.

The Order of Mathematical Operations (or how not to FAIL miserably)

If your brain just went to that dark, dusty corner where you store all the traumatic memories of high school math class, I feel you. Hold my hand – we’ll get through this together.

The key to cracking this bad boy lies in the sacred rules of the Order of Operations, also known as PEMDAS – Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). Think of it as the math world’s very own etiquette guide. Ever tried drinking soup with a fork? Yeah, ignoring PEMDAS is kinda like that.

Navigating the Minefields (Step-by-Hilarious-Step)

Let’s apply our newfound PEMDAS knowledge. First things first, we handle any multiplication and division before doing any addition and subtraction. Okay, ready?

So we have: 7 + 6 ÷ 3 × 4 − 2

First, deal with 6 ÷ 3,

Resulting in: 7 + 2 × 4 − 2

Next, we multiply 2 × 4,

Resulting in: 7 + 8 − 2

And now, the easy part: we simply add and subtract from left to right:

7 + 8 = 15

Then: 15 − 2 = 13

Twist Ending: The Grand Reveal

So my dear puzzled friend, now you know the forbidden fruit in our little equation is the number 13. Whether you’re a triskaidekaphobe who fears the number or someone who’s just relieved they figured out this riddle, you’ve made it to the end against all odds.

The Apple Riddle Answer: 13

Tricked ya! Or did I? Whatever the case, you’re now part of an elite group of math warriors who dared to face the PEMDAS dragon and lived to tell the tale. Can we call you Sir Add-a-lot or Lady Divide-n-Conquer? Maybe. Wear your newfound wisdom proudly, and whatever you do, remember to never drink soup with a fork. Seriously.