Mastering PEMDAS with Practice
Let's try another example: 8 - 2 × (4 + 1)
- Parentheses: (4 + 1) = 5
- No exponents in this problem
- Multiplication: 2 × 5 = 10
- Subtraction: 8 - 10 = -2
Parentheses are super powerful in math! They tell us which parts of the problem to solve first. Compare 2 × (3 + 4) and 2 × 3 + 4. The first gives us 2 × 7 = 14, while the second gives us 6 + 4 = 10. Totally different answers!
When practicing PEMDAS, try connecting it to real life. If you're calculating the cost of 3 video games at 20each,plusa5 controller, you'd write 3 × 20+5. Following PEMDAS gives you $65, which is the right total!
Brain Boost: Create your own math problems using PEMDAS. Start simple, then challenge yourself by adding more operations. This is a fun way to check if you really understand the order of operations!