Solve the Integer Equation: 6-3+8 Step by Step

Q: Why do I work left to right instead of doing addition first?

Addition and subtraction have equal priority in order of operations! When operations have the same priority level, you must work from left to right, not pick which operation to do first.

Q: What if I accidentally did the addition first?

You'll get the wrong answer! If you calculated $3 + 8 = 11$ first, then $6 - 11 = -5$, which is incorrect. Always restart and follow left-to-right order.

Q: Is there a trick to remember the correct order?

Think of it like reading a sentence - you read from left to right! For $6 - 3 + 8$, process each operation as you encounter it: first the subtraction, then the addition.

Q: How can I check if my answer is right?

Work backwards! Start with your answer $11$, subtract the last number: $11 - 8 = 3$, then add back the middle number: $3 + 3 = 6$. You should get the first number!

Q: What if the expression was longer with more numbers?

Same rule applies! For expressions like $10 - 4 + 2 - 1$, work step by step from left to right: $10 - 4 = 6$, then $6 + 2 = 8$, then $8 - 1 = 7$.

Order of Operations with Mixed Addition Subtraction

$6-3+8=\text{ ?}$

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Understand the problem

$6-3+8=\text{ ?}$

Step-by-step solution

To solve the expression $6 - 3 + 8$ , first perform the subtraction and then the addition:

Subtract the first two numbers: $6 - 3 = 3$
Add the result to the third number: $3 + 8 = 11$

Thus, the answer is $11$ .

Final Answer

$11$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Rule: Work from left to right when operations have equal priority
Technique: First calculate 6 - 3 = 3, then add 8
Check: Verify by working backwards: 11 - 8 = 3, then 3 + 3 = 6 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Doing addition before subtraction
Don't calculate 3 + 8 = 11 first, then 6 - 11 = -5! This ignores left-to-right order and gives negative results. Always work from left to right when addition and subtraction appear together.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$$ 8 - 2 + 6 = $$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I work left to right instead of doing addition first?

Addition and subtraction have equal priority in order of operations! When operations have the same priority level, you must work from left to right, not pick which operation to do first.

What if I accidentally did the addition first?

You'll get the wrong answer! If you calculated $3 + 8 = 11$ first, then $6 - 11 = -5$ , which is incorrect. Always restart and follow left-to-right order.

Is there a trick to remember the correct order?

Think of it like reading a sentence - you read from left to right! For $6 - 3 + 8$ , process each operation as you encounter it: first the subtraction, then the addition.

How can I check if my answer is right?

Work backwards! Start with your answer $11$ , subtract the last number: $11 - 8 = 3$ , then add back the middle number: $3 + 3 = 6$ . You should get the first number!

What if the expression was longer with more numbers?

Same rule applies! For expressions like $10 - 4 + 2 - 1$ , work step by step from left to right: $10 - 4 = 6$ , then $6 + 2 = 8$ , then $8 - 1 = 7$ .

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