Math Basics Learning Centre
Order of Operations
(BEDMAS)
When evaluating a mathematical expression, the operations must be done in a certain
order. This order is sometimes called BEDMAS, after the first letters of the operations:
Evaluate what’s inside the parentheses first. If there are
brackets within brackets, do the ones that are farthest inside
Brackets: first. This step includes anything under a square root sign, the
numerator or denominator of a fraction, or an expression in an
exponent.
Calculate the results of any exponential expressions. Since
Exponents: square roots can also be exponents, they should also be
evaluated in this step.
Division & Evaluate these from left to right. Multiplication and division
have equal priority in order of operations.
Multiplication:
Addition & Evaluate these last, from left to right. Addition and subtraction
also have equal priority.
Subtraction:
Let’s try some examples:
1) 3+3×4
= 3 + 12 (We multiply before we add.)
= 15 (We add last.)
2) (3 + 3) × 4
= 6 ×4 (We do the brackets first. We add, and now because we
have one positive number in brackets, we remove them.)
= 24 (We multiply, because it’s the only step left.)
3) 2[2 + 2(3 − 6 ÷ 3 × 4 − 9) + 62]
= 2[2 + 2(3 − 8 − 9) + 62] (We start in the inside brackets. We multiply
and divide, from left to right, first.)
= 2[2 + 2( −14 ) + 62] (We subtract. Because the brackets contain a
negative number, we must keep them.)
= 2[2 + 2(−14) + 36] (We evaluate exponents before anything else.)
= 2[2 − 28 + 36] (The number in front of the brackets means
multiplication. We do the square brackets next,
and we multiply before we add or subtract.)
= 2 × 10 (We add and subtract from left to right. We can
replace the brackets with a “×” sign.)
Authored by Gordon Wong
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= 20 (We multiply, because it’s the only step left.)
EXERCISES
A. Evaluate:
1) (3 + 9 × 2 − 4) × 2 + 7 × 6 =
2) (6 + 5) × 4 − [1 + 2 × 8] + 12 × 2 =
3) −3 × (6 + 3 × 7 − 5²) × 2 + 6² ÷ 9 × 2 =
4) (3³ + 8 ÷ 4 − 5) × 2 + 5 × 9 − 16
5) (9 × 8 − 4 × 3) ÷ 5 − 7 + 4(5 × 3²) =
6) 19 − [(4 + 4 × 4 + 4) ÷ 3 + 7] ÷ 3 =
7) (4 + 4) × (4 + 4) + 2 − 18 ÷ (5 − 2³) =
7 43
8) 3.5[7 × 3 + (−1)³] + =
22 9 3 2
13 2 3
9) (17 2 3 2 ) − [(2³ × 3²) ÷ (5(7 − 5) − 1)]² =
24 2
SOLUTIONS:
A. (1) 76 (2) 51 (3) −4 (4) 89 (5) 185 (6) 14 (7) 72 (8) 69 (9) 1
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