Question

Order of Operations: Make it True

Drag the operation symbols on the bottom of the page and drag them into the appropriate places to make the equation true.
a) 15 + 8 * 5 / 12 = 17
b) 15 * 8 + 5 / 12 = 17
c) 15 - 8 * 5 / 12 = 17
d) 15 * 8 / 5 + 12 = 17

Answer 1

The question asks to apply the order of operations to make an equation true. However, after evaluating each option with the correct sequence of mathematical operations, none of the given equations equal 17.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves applying the correct order of operations to make an equation true. In math, the order of operations is essential to solve equations correctly and is typically remembered by the acronym PEMDAS, which stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), and Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). Using this guideline, we can evaluate each option provided:

1. 15 + 8 * 5 / 12 = 17: Here, we perform multiplication and division before addition. 8 * 5 = 40, and then 40 / 12 is approximately 3.33 when rounded. Adding this to 15 gives us 18.33, which is not equal to 17.
2. 15 * 8 + 5 / 12 = 17: This option has multiplication and division as well. Multiplying 15 by 8 gives us 120, and 5 / 12 is approximately 0.42. Adding these together gives us much more than 17.
3. 15 - 8 * 5 / 12 = 17: Again, we start with multiplication and division; 8 * 5 = 40, and 40 / 12 is approximately 3.33. Subtracting this from 15 gives us roughly 11.67, which is not equal to 17.
4. 15 * 8 / 5 + 12 = 17: Let's check the multiplication and division first. Multiplying 15 by 8 gives 120. Dividing 120 by 5 gives us 24. Adding 12 to 24 equals 36, which again, is not 17.

None of these operations make the equations true, so possibly there is an error in the options or the instructions as none of them evaluate to 17 with the standard order of operations.