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When you are working something out that involves more than one operation, the order in which they are carried out matters.

 

The agreed order is:

      Brackets
      Powers or indices
      Multiplication and division
      Addition and subtraction

 

This can be remembered using the word    BIDMAS.

However, remember that multiplication and division are equally important, so in a calculation just involving multiplication and division, you carry this out from left to right.  Similarly with addition and subtraction.

Examples

6 + 9 ÷ 3 = 6 + 3 = 9. divide first
(6 + 9) ÷ 3 = 15 ÷ 3 = 5. brackets first
15 - 4 × 2 = 15 - 8 = 7. multiply first
(15 - 4) × 2 = 11 × 2 = 22. brackets first
4 × 32 = 4 × 9 = 36. power first
(4 × 3)2 = 122 = 144. brackets first

14 - 4 + 5 = 15.  equally important, so left to right.

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