What is the first step you should take to solve the following expression: 2 – 16 ÷ 4 × (3 + 2)2 + 1 ?
A. 16 ÷ 4
B. 2 – 16
C. 3 + 2
D. 22
Either A or C will work.
If you rely strictly on PEMDAS, then P would mean (C)
To solve the expression 2 – 16 ÷ 4 × (3 + 2)2 + 1, the first step is to perform the calculation inside the parentheses: (3 + 2)2.
The correct answer is
C. 3 + 2
To solve the expression 2 – 16 ÷ 4 × (3 + 2)2 + 1, you should follow the order of operations, also known as PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction). According to PEMDAS, you should first simplify the expression within the parentheses.
The expression within the parentheses is (3 + 2). To simplify it, you perform the addition, which gives you 5.
Now that you have simplified the expression within the parentheses, you should move on to the next step, which is to perform any exponents. In this expression, there are no exponents.
The next step is to evaluate any multiplication or division from left to right. In this case, there is a division operation: 16 ÷ 4. So, you should perform this division to get the result 4.
Now that you have performed the division, you should continue evaluating any remaining multiplication operations from left to right. In this expression, you have multiplication: 4 × 5. So, you should perform this multiplication to get the result 20.
After completing the multiplication, you move on to addition or subtraction from left to right. In this expression, there is subtraction: 2 – 20. So, you should perform this subtraction to get the result -18.
Finally, you should evaluate any remaining addition or subtraction operations from left to right. In this expression, there is addition: -18 + 1. So, you should perform this addition to get the final result -17.
Therefore, the correct first step to solve the given expression is A. 16 ÷ 4.