Order of operations
An expression has a fixed order: parentheses, powers, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. Basic calculators sometimes ignore it.
About: Order of operations
An expression has a fixed order: parentheses, powers, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. Basic calculators sometimes ignore it.
Worked examples
Calculate: 12 + 6 × 5
Answer: 42. Order: parentheses; then multiplication and division, left to right; then addition and subtraction. Result: 42.
Calculate: 4 × 3 − 12 ÷ 2
Answer: 6. Order: parentheses; then multiplication and division, left to right; then addition and subtraction. Result: 6.
Calculate: 3 + 6 × 7
Answer: 45. Order: parentheses; then multiplication and division, left to right; then addition and subtraction. Result: 45.