When several operations appear in an expression, the order in which we carry them out is not free: following it in the wrong way leads to a wrong result. To solve an expression we respect the order of operations, in the following sequence:
- Round brackets , then square brackets , then braces ;
- Powers;
- Multiplications and divisions (from left to right);
- Additions and subtractions (from left to right).
Within the same level of priority we always proceed from left to right. Brackets serve precisely to force an order different from the natural one.
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Topics: Numbers and operations
Concepts: Numerical expression · Order of operations
Skills: Calculating