ORDER

Arithmetic Grade Four

Lesson Fifty-nine: Order of Operations

What is the answer to this problem?


     6 + 4 * 7 - 2 = ?

The correct answer is 32, but some people might guess 50 or 26 or 74 or maybe even something else. There is only one correct answer and to know how to find the answer you need to follow two simple rules:

multiplication and division before addition or subtraction
after observing rule one, work left to right (this is often not essential, but it can help keep you organized)

Here's a simpler example:


   8 - 2 * 3 

   Our rules up above tell us to multiply before subtracting. So, 
   we multiply 2 * 3 to get 6 which we then subtract from 8 to
   get a final answer of 2.

Here's one more example for you before you get to try a few yourself:


   9 x 2 + 4

   We multiply 9 x 2 and get 18 and then we add 4 to get 22.

You get to try a few for yourself on the next page.

Continue to next page of lesson