Understanding PedMAS: Mastering the Order of Operations

Have you ever solved a math problem and gotten a different answer than a friend or classmate? This often happens when a problem has multiple operations (like addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) and people solve them in different orders.

To avoid confusion, mathematicians agreed on a specific order of operations that everyone should follow. In this guide, you will learn about PedMAS – an acronym that helps you remember the correct order to tackle each part of a math problem. PedMAS stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction. By following PedMAS step by step, you’ll solve problems the right way every time!

What is PedMAS (Order of Operations)?

PedMAS (sometimes known as PEMDAS) is a handy way to remember the order in which you should perform operations in a complex math problem. Each letter in P-E-D-M-A-S represents one part of the order of operations:

• P – Parentheses: Do all calculations inside parentheses ( ) first.
• E – Exponents: Next, solve any exponents or powers (for example, 2^3 or 5^2).
• D – Division and M – Multiplication: Then, perform division and multiplication as they appear, moving left to right across the expression. (These two operations are on the same level, so do whichever comes first from left to right.)
• A – Addition and S – Subtraction: Finally, perform addition and subtraction as they appear from left to right. (These are also on the same level, so solve them in the order they occur from left to right.)

Notice that in the acronym we group division & multiplication together and addition & subtraction together. This is because multiplication and division share equal priority, as do addition and subtraction.

A common mistake is to think you must always do M before D because PedMAS lists M first – but in truth, you simply work left-to-right for those two operations. The same goes for A and S.

Tip: A popular phrase to remember PEMDAS/PedMAS is “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.” The first letter of each word corresponds to P, E, M, D, A, S. Some students also make up their own silly sentences to help memorize the order.

Why Do We Need an Order of Operations?

Imagine a problem like 6 – 3 × 2. If one person does the subtraction first, they would do 6 – 3 = 3 and then 3 × 2 = 6. Another person might do the multiplication first: 3 × 2 = 6, then 6 – 6 = 0.

Which answer is correct – 6 or 0?

Without a clear order of operations, math could get pretty confusing. The PedMAS rule gives us a set of rules so that every time you see a multi-step problem, you know exactly what to do. It’s like a recipe: the order matters!

Using PedMAS Step-by-Step

Whenever you face a math expression with several operations, keep PedMAS in mind. Here’s the sequence:

• Parentheses first: Solve anything inside ( ). If nested, start with the innermost.
• Exponents next: Powers or squares like 3^2 = 9.
• Division and Multiplication (left to right): Perform these in the order they appear.
• Addition and Subtraction (left to right): Same rule — solve in sequence.

Important: Multiplication doesn’t outrank division. Same for addition and subtraction. It’s about left-to-right order.

For example, in 30 ÷ 5 × 2, you must divide first to get 6, then multiply: 6 × 2 = 12. Doing it backward gives the wrong result.

Step-by-Step Examples

Time to Practice!

Now that you understand how to use PedMAS, you can try solving some problems on your own. Remember to go through the operations in the correct order — like following a recipe.

For a fun way to practice PedMAS, try out the PedMAS Monster Maker game. This interactive game lets you build a monster as you solve math steps!

Remember: PedMAS is your friend whenever you face a tricky multi-operation math problem. With practice, you’ll be a PedMAS master in no time.