6th Grade Math Textbook, Progress

Order of Operations with Fractions

8-9

You can use the order of operations to simplify

mathematical expressions with fractions.

Simplify: (3
^1

3


 1 
^1

3


)^2  1 
^1

2


.

( 3 
^1

3


 1 
^1

3


)^2  1 
^1

2


 Compute within parentheses first.

(2)^2  1 
^1

2


 Compute exponents next.

4  1 
^1

2


 Computeorlast.

5 
^1

2

So (3
^1

3


 1 
^1

3


)^2  1 
^1

2


 5 
^1

2


.

Check.

Study these examples.

Simplify: (


2

3


)^2 
^1

5



^1

2


.

(


2

3


)^2 
^1

5



^1

2

^4

9



^1

5



^1

2


 Multiply next.

^4

9





1

1

0


 Subtract last.

^4

9

0

0





9

9

0



^3

9

1

0

Order of Operations

1. Grouping symbols


2. Exponents


3. orleft to right


4. orleft to right

Think

(


2

3


)^2 
^2

3



^2

3



^4

9

Think

0.25


1

4

Simplify: 2
^1 


3


0.25.

2 


1

3


0.25

^2

3



^1

4

^2

3



^4

1



^8

3


 2 
^2

3

5

1

2

Compute exponents

first.

Computeor

left to right.

Multiply first.

Then divide.

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