Question

How do you evaluate `36+23+14+7`?

Answer 1

`36+23+14+7=80`

Explanation:

PEMDAS is a mnemonic for the following conventions of order of operations:

P Parentheses.

E Exponents.

MD Multiplication and Division - evaluated left to right.

AS Addition and Subtraction - evaluated left to right.

Note that multiplication and division have the same priority and addition and subtraction have the same priority.

In our example, we only have addition. So PEMDAS tells us that we should evaluate the given expression from left to right.

So:

`color(blue)(36+23)+14+7 = color(purple)(59+14)+7 = 73+7 = 80`

Actually, if the expression only contains addition, then you can perform it in any order since addition is both commutative and associative:

• Commutativity: `a+b = b+a` for any `a, b`

• Associativity: `(a+b)+c = a+(b+c)` for any `a, b, c`

Answer 2

`36+23+14+7=80`

Explanation:

`14=2(7)` then `14+7=2(7)+7=3(7)=21`

Therefore

`36+23+14+7=36+23+21`

`36=30+6` and `23+21=44=40+4`

Then `36+44=30+6+40+4=30+40+6+4=70+10`

That leads us to

`=36+44=80`