Order of operations

When calculations have more than one operation, we have to follow rules for the order of operations:

Step 1:
From left to right, do all multiplication and division.

Step 2:
From left to right, do all addition and subtraction.

However, if there are parentheses or other types of brackets, do all operations that lie inside them first:
The order of operations also applies while working inside parentheses:
When you have parentheses inside brackets and braces (sometimes referred as nested parentheses), always work from the inside out. There are multiple types of brackets. The innermost parentheses/round brackets () are calculated first, followed by the brackets/box brackets [] that normally form the next layer, followed by braces/curly brackets {} that form a third layer outwards:

Order of operations

When calculations have more than one operation, we have to follow rules for the order of operations:

Step 1:
From left to right, do all multiplication and division.

Step 2:
From left to right, do all addition and subtraction.

However, if there are parentheses or other types of brackets, do all operations that lie inside them first:
The order of operations also applies while working inside parentheses:
When you have parentheses inside brackets and braces (sometimes referred as nested parentheses), always work from the inside out. There are multiple types of brackets. The innermost parentheses/round brackets () are calculated first, followed by the brackets/box brackets [] that normally form the next layer, followed by braces/curly brackets {} that form a third layer outwards:

Basic arithmetic operations

Addition

Sum - outcome of adding two or more numbers

summand + summand =sum
addend + addend = sum

Example: Calculate the sum of 12 and 3.
Answer: 12+3=15

Subtraction

Difference - outcome of subtracting two numbers

minuend – subtrahend = difference

Example: Calculate the difference of 12 and 3.
Answer: 12−3=9

The parts you subtract or add are also called terms.

Multiplication

Product - outcome of multiplying two or more numbers.

factor × factor = product

Example: Calculate the product of 12 and 3.
Answer: 12 × 3 = 36

Division

Quotient - outcome of division of two numbers

dividend ÷ divisor = quotient

Example: Calculate the quotient of 12 and 3.
Answer: 12 ÷ 3 = 4