Viral Elementary School Math Question Stumps Teacher—and the Internet

Newsweek

a day ago

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An elementary school math question has left not only students but also a seasoned teacher—and much of the internet—scratching their heads.
Bobby Seagull, @bobby_seagull, shared the puzzle his friend's 7-year-old child received at school on Threads, where it quickly racked up more than 116,000 views.
"I get sent tricky maths questions all the time, so I thought this one would be a piece of cake—but when I read it, I couldn't even find a clear question!
"To check I wasn't going mad, I shared it on social media... and suddenly Dina's baking schedule was going viral across Threads, Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok. Some responses were hilarious ('don't mess with Dina'), others were genuine attempts to solve it. The sensible conclusion? It's probably missing a key bit of information meaning it's an unsolvable problem as it is.
"While I'd rather see deeper maths debates go viral, at least it's got people talking about how we teach maths—and if Dina's cake and brownies can do that, maybe it's a win for numeracy," said Seagull, a math teacher, ambassador for a numeracy charity, and co-host of the Maths Appeal podcast.
The problem read: "Dina is baking. The cake bakes from 11 o'clock until half past 11. The brownies bake from 10 past 11 until 25 to 12. Do you agree with Dina? Explain your answer."
Former upper-elementary math teacher, curriculum developer, and Doodles and Digits founder Caroline Farkas told Newsweek the problem needs more information to solve. Without additional details, the answer depends on assumptions.
She noted that key factors—such as whether there's only one oven or the exact baking times—are missing. "That's what makes it a perfect conversation starter rather than a straightforward calculation," she explained.
Farkas pointed out that time problems often trip students up because they don't follow a base-10 system. Learners must convert between minutes and hours, interpret phrases like "half past" and "to," and mentally model elapsed time—all easy places for errors. To support students, she uses tools such as number lines, t-charts, and analog clocks.
A screenshot of the question causing the internet to scratch their heads.
A screenshot of the question causing the internet to scratch their heads.
Bobby Seagull/Bobby Seagull
According to Farkas, challenges like this are ideal math warm-ups because they spark discussion, encourage students to defend their reasoning, and highlight how precise language impacts problem-solving. Multiple "reasonable" answers can emerge, which makes for rich conversation. She also incorporates "Which One Doesn't Belong?" prompts and visual puzzles to help students analyze patterns, make connections, and explain their thinking in different ways.
Threads users were quick to weigh in.
"I've never heard anyone say 25 to 12. That's just 11:35. You get half past, quarter after, quarter to. Everything else is generally rounded up. In the case of baking, you'd want to use the exact minute," said Chellykins.
Another user wrote: "The first half of the statement before 5a) tells you that cake takes 30 minutes to cook and that brownies take 10 minutes longer then cake. As a teacher I expect you to teach 'show or read the whole question before attempting to answer.'"
Debbie Furgueson offered her own take: "Dina needs to convey concisely what she needs me to agree or disagree about in regards to her baking. Please have her reframe the question in a mathematical manner in order for an answer to be found. Thank you.—Logical People Everywhere."
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