Final answer:
In the expression 144 + 36 x 2, multiplication is performed first before addition. The answer is 216.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the expression 144 + 36 x 2, the multiplication operation is performed first, according to the order of operations.
This is because multiplication and division have higher priority than addition and subtraction.
So, you would calculate 36 x 2 first, which equals 72, and then add 144 to get the final answer of 216.
Learn more about Order of Operations