What do YOU think 550 divided by two is?

Social media users have been left bewildered after discovering that 550 divided by two is 275.

Baffled numerophiles braving mental mathematics have expressed their disdain at the calculation – and that it does not equal 225.

If you multiply 225 by two it equals 450, but for some reason, people seem to have it stuck in their heads that the result of 225 x 2 is 550.  

Tweets, memes and Reddit threads around the world are sharing the ‘bad news’ and revealing that some were ‘today years old’ when they realised the actual answer of the division problem.

Social media users are bewildered to discover that 550 divided by two is 275 – and not 225 as many seem to instinctively assume

One Twitter account @HappenedtoHim posted a meme picture showing two figures taking a third on a stretcher, with one asking: ‘What happened to him?’

The second man responds: ‘He found out that 550/2 is not 225.’

The image quickly went viral, with 105,000 people liking the post on Twitter and many sharing their own confusion on the platform. 

Another person on the site questioned: ‘How old were you when you first discovered that 550 divided by 2 is not 225?’

Tweets, memes and Reddit threads around the world are sharing the ‘bad news’ and revealing that some were ‘today years old’ when they realised the real answer of the division problem 

A second maths aficionado from Pakistan also shared the revelation, dubbing it a ‘reality check’. 

Elsewhere, a disoriented cross-country driver from Panama was equally unimpressed at the outcome, writing: ‘I have breaking news! 550 divided by 2 is not 225.’

One person from Zimbabwe simply proclaimed: ‘550 divided by 2 should be = 225.’ 

According to the social media site Know Your Meme, the division problem first began baffling users on Vietnamese Facebook pages around 2019. 

The numerical mayhem has gone viral as Rishi Sunak‘s ‘big idea’ of making Maths compulsory to the age of 18 was mocked as a ‘dead cat’ to distract from the NHS crisis and winter of discontent.

In his first major speech as PM this afternoon, the Prime Minister promised to equip children for the ‘jobs of the future’ by combating high rates of innumeracy in the UK.

Young people will be forced to take ‘some form’ of Maths delivered either through new courses or existing qualifications such as A-levels, T-levels and Core Maths. For most the drive is likely to involve practical skills rather than algebra.

But Opposition parties dismissed the initiative as ’empty’ and an ‘admission of failure’ – while Tories urged Mr Sunak to focus on tackling illegal immigration instead. 

The numerical mayhem comes as Rishi Sunak ‘s ‘big idea’ of making Maths compulsory to the age of 18 was today mocked as a ‘dead cat’. Pictured: The PM outside Downing Street

Attempting to make a virtue of his own privileged education at elite public school Winchester College, the premier is expected to say: ‘This is personal for me. Every opportunity I’ve had in life began with the education I was so fortunate to receive. 

‘And it’s the single most important reason why I came into politics: To give every child the highest possible standard of education.

‘Thanks to the reforms we’ve introduced since 2010, and the hard work of so many excellent teachers, we’ve made incredible progress.

‘With the right plan – the right commitment to excellence – I see no reason why we cannot rival the best education systems in the world.’

READ MORE: 

‘How will this fix broken Britain?’ Rishi Sunak’s ‘big idea’ of compulsory maths to the age of 18 is mocked as a ‘distraction’ from NHS crisis and winter of discontent – as Tories demand he focuses on illegal immigration instead

‘I’m in charge of curing the NHS now’: Rishi Sunak unveils blueprint to help tackle the crisis in UK hospitals – in the first major speech of his premiership 

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