Evaluate $33-5 \times 6$
Answer (1)
Apply the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS).
Multiply 5 × 6 = 30 .
Subtract the result from 33: 33 − 30 = 3 .
The final result is 3 .
Explanation
Understanding the Order of Operations We are asked to evaluate the expression 33 − 5 × 6 . To do this, we need to follow the order of operations, often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) or BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction). This tells us the order in which we should perform the operations.
Performing Multiplication According to the order of operations, we must perform the multiplication before the subtraction. So, we first calculate 5 × 6 , which equals 30.
Substituting the Result Now, we substitute the result of the multiplication back into the original expression. We have 33 − 30 .
Performing Subtraction Finally, we perform the subtraction: 33 − 30 = 3 .
Final Answer Therefore, the value of the expression 33 − 5 × 6 is 3.
Examples
Understanding the order of operations is crucial in many real-life scenarios, such as calculating expenses or determining the outcome of a series of actions. For instance, if you buy 3 items that cost $5 each and then receive a $2 discount, the expression to calculate your total cost is 3 × 5 − 2 = 13 . If you mistakenly subtract first, you would calculate 3 × ( 5 − 2 ) = 9 , which is incorrect. This demonstrates how following the correct order of operations ensures accurate results in everyday calculations.
