Often in Mathematics, we use different methods to solve particular problems, and surprisingly answers differ from methods to methods. This might have happened with you at least one time. In order to avoid confusion and form a system of solving equations, some rules of precedence were established in the 1500s which lead to the ‘Order of Operations.’ The operations in order of operations are subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, grouping the order, etc. One of the most common techniques of remembering the order of operation is PEMDAS, which stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, and Division, and Addition and subtraction. In this blog, we will go through the Order of Operation in detail.
What is the Order of Operations?
In Mathematics, we focus on accuracy, and hence there is less flexibility. Even if you try different methods to solve a problem, the core concept remains the same. But when we talk about equations, solving equations in a certain way can yield different results.
Unlike other subjects, Mathematics is more about accuracy and less about flexibility. One cannot possibly take a chance with the numerals if they are not sure about the answer. Also, there is not a lot of guesswork possible in Mathematics if you know the answer, you know, and if you don’t, you can’t possibly do the guesswork. But often, students encountered a problem when it came to solving equations. With different arithmetic equations, there was no fixed order; hence students often got confused when the answers didn’t match up. All there was an irregularity in terms of equations which certainly was a big hurdle. In order to overcome this problem, the order of operations was created.
The order of operations is a set of rules in which the order of calculation is prioritized in order to avoid confusion and get multiple answers to a particular question or equation. The order of operations makes solving equations simple and easy. Also, with the set of rules in order of operations, there is a similarity in terms of answers. Let us now go through some of the rules of the order of operations.
It is one of the most interesting topics. If you have a solid foundation of this topic, you can easily deal with complex equations in the future. You can master this concept by practicing various worksheets like the 3rd grade math worksheets based on the topic. Regular practice of order of operation questions can increase your speed and accuracy.
Rules of Order of Operations
When it comes to solving equations in accordance with the order of operations, we need to follow a set of rules which can help you sail through the solutions easily without any stress. The order of operations has a set of rules which helps you solve an equation/problem. One of the most common rules of order of solutions is defined by PEMDAS, which stands for “Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, and Division, and Addition and Subtraction.” Here the listing of different words in PEMDAS tells us the sequence of the operations. This helps us avoid confusion and solve the equations easily. Let us understand this with the help of the following steps:
- Step 1 Parentheses: In the first step, you need to simplify all the things under the brackets and braces. This includes all the set of grouping symbols.
- Step 2 Exponents: In the second step, we simplify all the exponents and roots.
- Step 3 Multiplication and Division: In this step, we solve all the terms with multiplication and division
- Step 4 Addition and Subtraction: In step 4, we simplify addition and subtraction.
If you want to get an in-depth understanding of PEMDAS, you can visit one of the most popular online learning platforms Cuemath, which helps you understand concepts with the help of visuals, thus helping you develop a rock-solid foundation!