Number 5.

3 Order of Operations
1. Why we need to perform operations in a certain order

Stumpy Pete, Ailing Jenny and Greasy Joan are at The Dead Man’s Chest half-drunk and
doing speed math.

Whoever finds the value of the following expression first, wins:

3+2×4−1
They all solve the problem in a few seconds, but get completely different answers:

Stumpy Pete: 19
Who is right?
Ailing Jenny:15
Greasy Joan: 10

The first thing they do is check their workings, but they still get the same answers.

The problem is that each pirate added, multiplied and subtracted in a different order:

Pete worked left → right: Jenny did + and − first: Joan did × first:

➊ 3+ 2 × 4 −1 ➊ 3+ 2 × 4 −1 ➊ 3+ 2 × 4 −1

5 5 8

➋ 5 × 4 −1 ➋ 5 × 4 −1 ➋ 3+ 8 −1
20 3 11

➌ 20 − 1= 19 ➌ 5 × 3 = 15 ➌ 11− 1= 10

Being pirates, they argue about who is right and end up drawing cutlasses and pistols
and starting a fight.

Before anyone gets hurt, Captain Jack throws a bucket of water over the lot of them and
says, “There are rules about the order in which you do things, and only one of you
followed the rules! So only one of you is right!”

But what are the rules, and who is right?

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 2. Two rules for order of operations, but not the only rules

There are four rules, called the order of operations:

Rule 3: First, do any × and ÷ working from left → right

“What about Rule 4: Next, do any + and − working from left → right
rules 1 and 2?”
“We’ll get to Let’s try some examples:
that, you scurvy
monkey!” Problem 1 Do the Problem 2 Problem 3
2+6×2 × first 4−2×2 3+6×3

2+6×2 4−2×2

2 + 12 = 14
=0 = 21

The rule is the same for division:

Problem 4 Problem 5 Problem 6 Problem 7

6−4÷2 8−9÷3 12 − 6 ÷ 3 4 − 12 ÷ 6

6−4÷2

6−2 = 4
=5 = 10 =2

After multiplication or division, you do addition and subtraction from left to right:

Problem 8 Problem 9 Problem 10 Problem 11

3+6−2×4 3+4÷2−3 6+8÷4+2 12 + 8 − 12 ÷ 4

3+6−2×4 3+4÷2−3 6+8÷4+2

3+6−8 3+2−3
9−8 =1
=2 = 10 = 17

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 2b. Two rules for order of operations, but not the only rules (continued)

If there is more than one × or ÷ then you do each one from left to right:
Problem 1 Problem 2 Problem 3 Problem 4
6 ÷ 3× 2 −1 8÷4÷2+4 4 × 3× 2 +1 16 ÷ 4 ÷ 2 − 1

6 ÷ 3× 2 −1 8÷4÷2+4 4 × 3× 2 +1

2 × 2 −1 2÷2+4
4 − 1= 3
=5 = 25 =1

Problem 5 Problem 6 Problem 7 Problem 8

8÷2−3÷3 6×3+8÷4 5÷5+6÷3 4×2−6÷3

=3 = 20 =3 =6

So which of the pirates was right? Look at their work again and see:
Stumpy Pete Ailing Jenny Greasy Joan

3+ 2 × 4 −1 3+ 2 × 4 −1 3+ 2 × 4 −1 Greasy Joan is
= 5 × 4 −1 = 5 × 4 −1 = 3+ 8 −1 the only one who
followed the
= 20 − 1 = 5×3 = 11− 1 order of
operations rules.
= 19 = 15 = 10

Now let’s do some practice.

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 3. Practice

Remember the rules we’ve learnt so far:

Rule 3: First, do any × and ÷ working from left → right

Rule 4: Next, do any + and − working from left → right

Problem 1 Problem 2 Problem 3 Problem 4

52 − 13 + 17 20 + 12 − 15 33 − 14 − 10 12 − 9 + 3 − 6

= 56 = 17 =9 =0

Problem 5 Problem 6 Problem 7 Problem 8

49 ÷ 7 + 8 49 ÷ 7 × 8 49 + 7 × 8 49 − 7 × 7

= 15 = 56 = 105 =0

Problem 9 Problem 10 Problem 11 Problem 12

12 × 12 ÷ 6 12 ÷ 6 × 12 6 × 12 ÷ 12 6 + 12 × 12

= 24 = 24 =6 = 150

Problem 13 Problem 14 Problem 15

15 − 3 × 3 + 8 ÷ 4 18 + 15 ÷ 3 − 2 × 7 49 ÷ 7 × 2 − 3 × 4

=8 =9 =2

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 4. Describing what’s happening using words and pictures

To be really good at this, it helps to be able to describe what we’re doing. For instance:

Example 1
4×2−3
This means 4 groups of 2 joined together, then take away 3.

4×2 =8 −3 =5

Division is a little bit harder to describe (see if you can fill in the blank).

Example 2
6 ÷ 2 −1
This means take one group of 6 and split it into 2 even groups. Now looking at just
one of those new groups, subtract 1, and count how many are in the group now.

6 ÷2 =3 −1 =2
−1

Division is a little bit harder to describe (see if you can fill in the blank).

Example 3
3×3−2×4
Join 3 groups of 3 to make one big group, then take away 2 groups of 4 and see
what you have left.

3×3 =9 −2×4 =1
=9

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 4. Describing what’s happening using words and pictures (continued)

Now you try. Describe each expression using sketches and words (you can draw squares,
circles, faces, animals, whatever you like).

Problem 1
6×2−9
Join 6 groups of 2 into one big group, then take away 9.

6×2 = 12 −9
=3

Share your descriptions with somebody else and see if they can understand you.

Problem 2
6+8÷4−2
Take one group of 8 and divide it into 4 even groups. Now focus on just one of those
new, smaller groups. Add 6 to this group, then subtract 2.

8 ÷4 =2 +6 −2
=6

This last one is tricky. You have to find a way to describe it using words. There are many
ways to do this. One option is in the answer at the bottom.

Problem 3

4×2−6÷3

pieces. How many in each piece? There are 2. Take this many away from the first group to leave us with 6.
Possible description: Join 4 groups of 2 to make 8. Now look at a group of 6 and break it into 3 even

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 5. Using brackets

Back at The Dead Man’s Chest, Captain Jack has stopped the pirates fighting about what
order they do their operations in. But being pirates, it’s only a few minutes before
somebody is arguing again.

Stumpy Pete says, “I get the rules, but what if I don’t want to follow them? What if I
want to do something in a different order?” For instance:

3+2×5
“According to the rules this is 3, plus 2 groups of 5, to make 15...”

+ =
This is the
3 2×5 = 15 normal way...

“But what if I want to say, combine 3 and 2 to make a new group of 5, and then multiply
that group by 5?”

+ = ×5
3+2 =5 =

But what if you really

wanted to do this? 5×5 = 25
= 25

Greasy Joan, having just won the previous argument, shrieks, “You can’t do that! He
just told you the rules!” and tries to hit Stumpy Pete with a mug.

But Captain Jack says, “I didn’t tell you all the rules.”

Rule 2: First, do anything in (brackets)

This means you can change the way numbers are grouped by using brackets. In
Stumpy Pete’s example above, you would simply do this:

Example 1
Do the brackets Try it yourself. Do
(3 + 2) × 5 first. 2 × (3 + 1) the brackets first.
= 5×5
= 25
= 8

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 6. Brackets practice

So now we have three rules:

Rule 2: First, do anything in (brackets)

“Where’s rule 1?” Rule 3: Next, do any × and ÷ working from left → right
“You’re not ready
for rule 1! Rule 4: Finally, do any + and − working from left → right
That’s for
another time! Go Let’s try some examples:
get some booty!”
“But-” Problem 1 Brackets Problem 2 Problem 3
“Yaargh!” first
(2 + 3) × 4 (6 − 3) ÷ 3 (3 + 6) ÷ 3
= 5×4
= 20
=1 =3

Problem 4 Problem 5 Problem 6 Problem 7

10 ÷ (5 − 3) 4 + (2 + 1) × 2 6 − (5 − 1) ÷ 2 8 + (4 − 2) × 2
= 4+3×2 =
= =
= =
=5 = 10 =4 = 12

Problem 8 Problem 9 Problem 10 Problem11

10 − (6 − 3) ÷ 3 5 × (2 + 2) ÷ 10 8 ÷ (5 − 4) × 4 (12 − 3) × 4 − 15
= 5× ÷ 10 =8÷ ×4 =
= 20 ÷ 10 = =
=9 = =2 = = 32 = = 21

Problem 12 Problem 13 Problem 14

28 − 6 × (2 + 4) ÷ 3 18 + (28 − 7) ÷ 3 − 11 8 + (20 + 8 × 2) ÷ 4 − (15 − 11)

What’s first?

= 16 = 14 = 10

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 7. Spot the mistakes

Take this expression:

30 × 3 − 15 ÷ 3 + (12 − 3) × 5
Find the mistakes in each solution below:

Solution 1 Solution 2

30 × 3 − 15 ÷ 3 + (12 − 3) × 5 30 × 3 − 15 ÷ 3 + (12 − 3) × 5
= 90 − 5 + 9 × 5 = 90 − 5 + 9 × 5
= 85 + 9 × 5 = 90 − 14 × 5
= 94 × 5 = 90 − 70
= 470 = 20
Mistake is at 90 − 5 Mistake is at 5 + 9

Solution 3 Solution 4

30 × 3 − 15 ÷ 3 + (12 − 3) × 5 30 × 3 − 15 ÷ 3 + (12 − 3) × 5
= 90 − 5 + 9 × 5 = 90 − 15 ÷ 3 + 9 × 5
= 90 − 5 + 45 = 75 ÷ 3 + 9 × 5
= 85 + 45 = 25 + 9 × 5
= 130 = 25 + 45
= 70
Mistake is at... No, itʼs correct! Mistake is at 90 − 15

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 8. Practice

Problem 1 Problem 2 Problem 3 Problem 4

16 + 5 + 11 46 + 68 − 37 3×7×5 81÷ 9 ÷ 3
(Calculators ok)

= 32 = 77 = 105 =3

Problem 5 Problem 6 Problem 7 Problem 8

10 ÷ 2 × 8 26 − 14 ÷ 2 (18 − 2) ÷ 2 14 × 9 ÷ 3

= 40 = 19 =8 = 42

Problem 9 Problem 10 Problem 11 Problem 12

14 × (9 ÷ 3) 48 − 5 × 3 95 − 5 × 3 + 64 (6 + 5) × (15 − 7)

= 42 = 33 = 144 = 88

Problem 13 Problem 14 Problem 15 Problem 16

(24 ÷ 12) × (5 + 3) (32 − 4) ÷ 7 − 3 71+ (24 − 8) × 10 15 × (20 ÷ 4 − 3)

= 16 =1 = 231 = 30

Problem 17 Problem 18 Problem 19

(45 − 18) × (32 ÷ 8) (89 − 14) ÷ (20 − 3 × 5) 2 × 5 × (5 × 4 − 8 ÷ 4)

= 108 = 15 = 180

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