Move exactly one match to make it true.
💡 Hint
Subtract a number from itself.
Reveal answer
Take the vertical match out of the plus sign and lay it across the top of the 1 to make a 7. The equation becomes 7 − 7 = 0.
A 7 on a digital display is just a 1 with a bar on top. The plus sign gives up its vertical stick, which turns it into a minus, and that stick becomes the top bar of the new 7. Any number minus itself is zero, so 7 − 7 = 0 is correct. A full computer search of single moves found no other solution.
Did you get it?
About This Puzzle
This equation looks hopeless: how can anything plus something equal zero? With only one move allowed, you’ll need to rethink both a digit and the sign.
How to Think About It
To get zero, the most natural equation is a number minus itself. You already have a 7 on the left. Could the 1 become another 7? Count how many matches each digit uses: a 1 uses two, and a 7 uses three. Where can you find one spare match?
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