1,000 + 40 = 1,040
1,040 + 1,000 = 2,040
2,040 + 30 = 2,070
2,070 + 1,000 = 3,070
3,070 + 20 = 3,090
3,090 + 1,000 = 4,090
4,090 + 10 = 4,100
The correct answer is 4,100, not 5,000.
Why do so many people get it wrong?
The brain tends to focus on the repeated thousands and unconsciously expects the final result to be a round number. The sequence is designed to encourage fast thinking rather than careful calculation.
This simple puzzle is a great reminder that our minds often rely on shortcuts, and those shortcuts can sometimes lead us to surprisingly wrong answers.
