Question

The acronym PEMDAS is used to help remember the correct order of operation to evaluate expressions. Which operation would be evaluated first in this expression?

a. Cancel out the 2's
b. Add the numerator of the fraction
c. Subtract 4
d. Divide 16

Answer 1

The specific operation to be evaluated first cannot be determined without the actual expression, but PEMDAS indicates that parentheses are addressed first, followed by exponents, and then multiplication and division from left to right, before addition and subtraction from left to right.

Step-by-step explanation:

The acronym PEMDAS is used to help remember the correct order of operations to evaluate expressions. PEMDAS stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), and Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). Without the specific expression provided, we cannot determine which operation listed in the options would be evaluated first. However, some general directions can be discussed.

To evaluate an expression correctly, one would typically follow these steps:

1. Perform any calculations inside parentheses.
2. Work out exponents, including powers and square roots.
3. Multiply and divide in order from left to right.
4. Add and subtract in order from left to right.

For example, if the expression involves canceling out the units, like in unit conversion, ensure that units cancel out correctly before performing the mathematical operations. If the expression includes fractions, you multiply the numerators and divide by the denominators. In exponentials, divide the digit terms and subtract exponents.