What is the order of operations and why does it matter?
Math's Lunch Line
What is the order of operations and why does it matter?
Here's a sneaky little math problem: 2 + 3 × 4. Quick — what's the answer? If you said 20, you added first. If you said 14, you multiplied first. You can't both be right. So mathematicians made a rulebook to settle the fight, and it's called the order of operations.
Think of a math expression like a recipe. A recipe doesn't just list ingredients — it tells you what to do first. Frost the cake before you bake it, and you'll have a melty mess. Numbers are the same. The order matters, so everyone follows the same steps and gets the same cake.
