How do you simplify #27 - 13 * 2 +17(6 - 5)#?

1 Answer
Alan P.
Apr 9, 2015

The order of operations for numeric expressions:

  1. anything inside parentheses
  2. exponents
  3. multiplication and division (usually left to right)
  4. addition and subtraction (usually left to right)

So following this sequence
#27 - 13*2 + 17(6-5)#
#= 27 - 13*2 + 17(1)#
#= 27 - 26 + 17(1)#
#= 27 - 26 + 17#
#=1+17#
#=18#

Note that the "left to right" sub-rule is important since
#(27-26)+17 != 27 - (26+17)#

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