Solve the following expression:
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Solve the following expression:
The division and multiplication have the same priority according to the order of operations, therefore we solve it from left to right:
5
\( 8 + 3 \times 2 = \)
Great question! The order you see operations written doesn't determine the order you solve them. Since multiplication and division have equal priority, you must work from left to right regardless of which symbol appears first.
The colon (:) is another way to write division, just like ÷ or /. So means the same as .
Think of it like reading! When operations have equal priority (like × and ÷), you work through them in the same order you read - from left to right. This applies to addition/subtraction too.
You'd get the wrong answer! If you did first, you'd get , which happens to be correct. But if the numbers were different, like , wrong order gives 18 instead of the correct answer 18.
PEMDAS covers the main rules, but remember: MD (multiplication/division) and AS (addition/subtraction) are equal priority pairs. Always work left to right within each pair!
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