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Lesson 4 of 16

Brackets go first

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6 min

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You pay ₹200. Your bag costs ₹120 and your pen costs ₹45. What is your change?

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The change: 200 − (120 + 45).
Step 1 of 6
  1. The change: 200 − (120 + 45).
  2. Brackets first: 120 + 45 = 165.
  3. Then 200 − 165 = 35.
  4. Without brackets: 200 − 120 + 45.
  5. Left to right: 200 − 120 = 80.
  6. Then 80 + 45 = 125.

The rule

Your change is ₹35. It is the money left from ₹200.

Brackets mark a piece to finish first. Work out inside the brackets. Then do the rest.

As a line, your change is 200 − (120 + 45). Both prices are paid from ₹200. So they go in one bracket.

Another example: 4 × (5 + 3). Inside the bracket, 5 + 3 = 8. Then 4 × 8 = 32. Without brackets, 4 × 5 + 3 = 20 + 3 = 23.

Same four numbers, brackets in different places
The lineComes to
18 ÷ 3 + 3 × 212
18 ÷ (3 + 3) × 26
(18 ÷ 3 + 3) × 218
18 ÷ (3 + 3 × 2)2

In 18 ÷ (3 + 3) × 2, the ÷ and × are tied. Work from the left: 18 ÷ 6 = 3, then 3 × 2 = 6.

Try the lab to finish this lesson.