Order of operations

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/order-of-operations

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key feature?Establishes a precedence hierarchy: Parentheses/Brackets, Exponents/Roots, Multiplication/Division (left-to-right), Addition/Subtraction (left-to-right)
2. What is the related topics?Algebraic notation, computational theory, programming language parsing, formal logic, history of mathematics
3. Why do we use PEMDAS or BODMAS?PEMDAS and BODMAS are short ways to remember the rules. They show the order: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction.
4. How does multiplication get done before addition?Multiplication is done before addition because the rules say it has higher priority. So 3 + 5 × 2 is 13, not 16.

Infix Notation: Mathematical notation where operators are placed between their operands, requiring explicit order of operations rules.
Precedence Hierarchy: The defined ranking of mathematical operations, determining which operations are performed before others.
Polish Notation: A prefix notation where operators precede their operands, inherently defining the order of operations.