Brackets go first
You pay ₹200. Your bag costs ₹120 and your pen costs ₹45. What is your change?
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Step 1 of 6
- The change: 200 − (120 + 45).
- Brackets first: 120 + 45 = 165.
- Then 200 − 165 = 35.
- Without brackets: 200 − 120 + 45.
- Left to right: 200 − 120 = 80.
- 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.
| The line | Comes to |
|---|---|
| 18 ÷ 3 + 3 × 2 | 12 |
| 18 ÷ (3 + 3) × 2 | 6 |
| (18 ÷ 3 + 3) × 2 | 18 |
| 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.