Why can't I just go left to right?
Jordan computed 3 + 4 * 5 by moving left to right: 3 + 4 = 7, then 7 * 5 = 35. The convention says multiply first.
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3 lessons for “Order of operations”
Which move comes first?
Isla solved 3x + 4 = 19 by writing 3x = 23, giving x = 23/3. She never removed the +4 before dividing.
Try this lessonWhat is f(-2) when f(x) = x^2 - 4x?
f(x) is a rule with a name, not multiplication. f(-2) means: feed -2 into the rule and see what comes out.
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What is the opposite of adding 7?
Owen solved x + 7 = 12 by computing 12 + 7 = 19. He added again instead of undoing the addition.
Try this lessonWhy is 5/8 smaller than 2/3?
Five is a bigger number than two and eight is a bigger number than three, yet five eighths is the smaller amount. Bigger numbers on the page are smaller pieces of the whole.
Try this lessonWhich number goes first in a ratio?
Nia counted 10 bus riders and 6 walkers and wrote the ratio of walkers to bus riders as 5:3. She answered a different question than the one asked.
Try this lessonWhy is 0.4 × 0.3 smaller than both?
Multiplying is supposed to make things bigger, and here it made something smaller. That is not a trick, it is what happens when both numbers are less than one.
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