The rules that define the correct sequence to evaluate a mathematical expression.

The rules that define the correct sequence to evaluate a mathematical expression.

• A. Table
• B. Order of Operations
• C. Decimal
• D. Trend

Answer: (B)

The main idea is the order of operations—the rules that tell you which parts of an expression to calculate first so everyone gets the same result. Following this sequence—parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, and finally addition and subtraction from left to right—keeps expressions unambiguous. For example, in 3 + 6 × 2 you perform the multiplication before the addition, giving 3 + 12 = 15. If you did the operations strictly from left to right, you’d get (3 + 6) × 2 = 18, which is a different result. Parentheses can change the outcome by grouping parts of the expression to be computed first, as in (3 + 6) × 2 = 18. Exponents come next, so 2^3 is done before any multiplication or addition, ensuring the correct value is built step by step. These rules are essential so that expressions have a single, clear value rather than multiple possible results.

The main idea is the order of operations—the rules that tell you which parts of an expression to calculate first so everyone gets the same result. Following this sequence—parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, and finally addition and subtraction from left to right—keeps expressions unambiguous.

For example, in 3 + 6 × 2 you perform the multiplication before the addition, giving 3 + 12 = 15. If you did the operations strictly from left to right, you’d get (3 + 6) × 2 = 18, which is a different result. Parentheses can change the outcome by grouping parts of the expression to be computed first, as in (3 + 6) × 2 = 18. Exponents come next, so 2^3 is done before any multiplication or addition, ensuring the correct value is built step by step.

These rules are essential so that expressions have a single, clear value rather than multiple possible results.