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Order of Operations Practice Problems
When a problem has more than one operation, the order matters. PEMDAS is a way to remember it: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (left to right), then Addition and Subtraction (left to right).
For: Grade 5 to 7 students and pre-algebra learners.
The rules
- Do anything inside parentheses or brackets first.
- Then exponents (powers and square roots).
- Then multiplication and division, working left to right. Neither one always comes first.
- Then addition and subtraction, also left to right.
Worked examples
Example 1: 3 + 4 × 2
- Multiply first: 4 × 2 = 8.
- Then add: 3 + 8 = 11.
Answer: 11
Example 2: (6 + 2) × 3²
- Parentheses: 6 + 2 = 8.
- Exponent: 3² = 9.
- Multiply: 8 × 9 = 72.
Answer: 72
Example 3: 20 ÷ 4 × 5
- Division and multiplication have the same rank, so go left to right.
- 20 ÷ 4 = 5.
- 5 × 5 = 25.
Answer: 25
Example 4: 18 − 6 ÷ 3 + 2
- Divide first: 6 ÷ 3 = 2.
- Now 18 − 2 + 2. Go left to right: 18 − 2 = 16.
- 16 + 2 = 18.
Answer: 18
Practice problems
- 5 + 3 × 4
- (5 + 3) × 4
- 2³ + 6 ÷ 2
- 12 − 4 + 3
- 36 ÷ (2 + 4) × 3
Show answers
- 17
- 32
- 11
- 11
- 18
Frequently asked questions
Does multiplication always come before division?
No. Multiplication and division have equal priority, so you do whichever comes first from left to right. The same is true for addition and subtraction.
What does PEMDAS stand for?
Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction. Some countries say BODMAS or BIDMAS, which mean the same order.
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