by Serhiy Grabarchuk Jr
Seven matchsticks are arranged into a not-quite-correct equation as is shown.
By moving only one matchstick it is possible to make it correct.
Presently the sum of the left and the right parts of the equation is 7 + 1 = 8. What will be the total sum of the left and the right parts of the equation once it is correct?
By moving one vertical matchstick from the “VII” and attaching it horizontally to the “V”, as is shown in the illustration, it creates a square root sign and the equation is now read “sq root of 1 equals 1”. Thus, the total sum of the equation’s two parts is 2.