This maths puzzle for kids has been leaving adults confused.
We all know that it’s important to keep our bodies healthy by exercising regularly, but did you know you also have to give your brain workouts? Keeping your brain active is vital for reducing the risk of degenerative diseases such as dementia and improving connections between your brain cells.
One of the best ways to give your brain a workout is through brainteasers and other puzzles, which on top of improving your memory and strengthening your problem-solving skills can also boost your mood. Solving puzzles releases dopamine which can make you feel happier, and focusing on one task can also help to lower stress levels.
So if you’re looking to boost your brain function today, why not give this puzzle a go?
This one might not be great for keeping your stress levels down, however, as you might find yourself frustrated. It’s supposed to be for children but it’s so hard even adults can’t solve it.
The puzzle was shared on TikTok by the account Brainer’s Dose, which regularly posts brain teaser content aimed to make you think differently to solve complex questions and riddles.
In this particular puzzle, you just have to solve one maths question. It reads: “If I say that 6 + 7 = 1, how can that be possible?”
Your job is to find the scenario in which 6 + 7 = 1 can be a true sum. As we all know, in reality 6 + 7 actually equals 13, so the question is less of a maths puzzle and more of a riddle.
To answer this one you’ll have to think outside the box. In what scenario could you be left with just one when adding those two numbers together? There’s a simple answer, but it involves such outside-the-box thinking that people have deemed it “impossible”.
What’s more, the puzzle was tagged on TikTok as being a “maths puzzle for kids”. So if you’re struggling to work out the answer, just know that it should be solvable by young children who don’t yet have the brain capacity you do.
Have you got it yet? We’re about to give you the answer, so if you’re still trying to work it out, don’t scroll any further!
Answer
At the end of the video, it’s revealed that 6 + 7 = 1 when talking specifically about time.
If you start at 6am and add seven hours, you’ll arrive at 1pm.
Now, arguably 13 would still be a correct answer as on a 24-hour clock, 1pm is the 13th hour of the day. But even if you use a 24-hour clock on your phone or computer, most of us would say “1pm” when talking about time, rather than saying “1300 hours” – as this is primarily used in the military.