Final answer:
In the expression 7² + 6(5 - 3) ÷ 2², the first operation to perform according to the order of operations (PEMDAS) is exponentiation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the expression 7² + 6(5 - 3) ÷ 2², the order of operations should be followed to determine which operation comes first. The correct order is Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right), which is commonly abbreviated as PEMDAS.
First, we solve any operations inside parentheses, which is the subtraction: (5 - 3). Then, we proceed with exponentiation: 7² and 2². After that, multiplication and division are addressed: 6 times the result of the parentheses and the division by 2². Finally, we would get to addition, which is the last step in evaluating this expression. Therefore, the correct answer to what comes first is d) Exponentiation.