Question

Explain the error. Jerome tries to find the value of the expression 3-6+5 by first applying the commutative property. He rewrites the expression as 3-5+6. Explain what is wrong with jerome's approach.

Answer 1

As far as the responder’s knowledge on basic properties of operations the given equation is entirely correct. The concern here is the arrangement and systematic organization of how to determine the order of doing the basic operations of the numbers given or equation given such as the MDAS rule –multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. Furthermore, the given expression of 3-6+5 or 3-5+6 still yields the same answer of 8.

1. 3-(6+5) = 8