by Josh Rappaport
Talk about a major point that's usually unstated ...
We make a huge deal out of the Order of Operations in algebra, yet there's a second order of operations, equally important but seldom mentioned.
First, to clarify, the standard Order of Operations (caps on the two O's to indicate this one) helps us simplify mathematical expressions. It tells us how to take a group of math terms and boil them down to a simpler expression. And it works great for that, for that's what it's designed for.
EXAMPLE: this Order of Operations tells us that, given an expression like: – 2 – 3(4 – 10), we'd first do the operations inside PARENTHESES to get - 6, then we'd MULTIPLY the 3 by that - 6 to get – 18. Then we would SUBTRACT the – 18 from the – 2, to get 16. You know, PEMDAS.
But it turns out that there's another order of operations, the one used for solving equations. And students need to know this order as well.
In fact, a confusing thing is that the PEMDAS order is in a sense the very opposite of the order for solving equations. And yet, FEW people hear about this. In fact, I have yet to see any textbook make this critical point. That's why I'm making it here and now: so none of you suffer the confusion.
In the Order of Operations, we learn that we work the operations of multiplication and division before we work the operations of addition and subtraction. But when solving equations, we do the exact opposite; we work with terms connected by addition and subtraction before we work with the terms connected by multiplication and division.
EXAMPLE: Suppose we need to solve the equation, 4x – 10 = 22
What to do first? Recalling that our goal is to get the 'x' term alone, we see that two numbers stand in the way: the 4 and the 10. We might think of them as x's bodyguards, and our job is to get x alone so we can have a private chat with him.
To do this, we need to ask how each of those numbers is connected to the equation's left side. The 4 is connected by multiplication, and the 10 is connected by subtraction. A key rule comes into play here. To undo a number from an equation, we use the opposite operation to how it's connected.
So to undo the 4 — connected by multiplication — we do division since division is the opposite of multiplication. And to undo the 10 — connected by subtraction — we do addition since addition is the opposite of subtraction.
So far, so good. But here's "the rub." If we were relying on the PEMDAS Order of Operations, it would be logical to undo the 4 by division BEFORE we undo the 10 with addition … because that Order of Operations says you do division before addition.
But the polar opposite is the truth when solving equations!
WHEN SOLVING EQUATIONS, WE UNDO TERMS CONNECTED BY ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION BEFORE WE UNDO TERMS CONNECTED BY MULTIPLICATION OR DIVISION.
Just take a look at how crazy things would get if we followed PEMDAS here.
We have: 4x – 10 = 22
Undoing the 4 by division, we would have to divide all of the equation's terms by 4, getting this:
x – 10/4 = 22/4
What a mess! In fact, now we can no longer even see the 10 we were going to deal with. The mess this creates impels us to undo the terms connected by addition or subtraction before we undo those connected by multiplication or division.
For many, the "Aunt Sally" memory trick works for PEMDAS. I suggest that for solving equations order of operations, we use a different memory trick.
I just remind students that in elementary school, they learned how to do addition and subtraction before multiplication and division. So I tell them that when solving equations, they go back to the elementary school order and UNDO terms connected by addition/subtraction BEFORE they UNDO terms connected by multiplication/division.
And this works quite well for most students. Try it and see if it works for you as well.
Josh Rappaport is the author of the Algebra Survival Guide and Workbook, which together comprise an award-winning program that makes algebra do-able! Josh also is the author of PreAlgebra Blastoff!, an engaging, hands-on approach to working with integers. All of Josh's books, published by Singing Turtle Press, are available on Amazon.com
Talk about a major point that's usually unstated ...
We make a huge deal out of the Order of Operations in algebra, yet there's a second order of operations, equally important but seldom mentioned.
First, to clarify, the standard Order of Operations (caps on the two O's to indicate this one) helps us simplify mathematical expressions. It tells us how to take a group of math terms and boil them down to a simpler expression. And it works great for that, for that's what it's designed for.
EXAMPLE: this Order of Operations tells us that, given an expression like: – 2 – 3(4 – 10), we'd first do the operations inside PARENTHESES to get - 6, then we'd MULTIPLY the 3 by that - 6 to get – 18. Then we would SUBTRACT the – 18 from the – 2, to get 16. You know, PEMDAS.
But it turns out that there's another order of operations, the one used for solving equations. And students need to know this order as well.
In fact, a confusing thing is that the PEMDAS order is in a sense the very opposite of the order for solving equations. And yet, FEW people hear about this. In fact, I have yet to see any textbook make this critical point. That's why I'm making it here and now: so none of you suffer the confusion.
In the Order of Operations, we learn that we work the operations of multiplication and division before we work the operations of addition and subtraction. But when solving equations, we do the exact opposite; we work with terms connected by addition and subtraction before we work with the terms connected by multiplication and division.
EXAMPLE: Suppose we need to solve the equation, 4x – 10 = 22
What to do first? Recalling that our goal is to get the 'x' term alone, we see that two numbers stand in the way: the 4 and the 10. We might think of them as x's bodyguards, and our job is to get x alone so we can have a private chat with him.
To do this, we need to ask how each of those numbers is connected to the equation's left side. The 4 is connected by multiplication, and the 10 is connected by subtraction. A key rule comes into play here. To undo a number from an equation, we use the opposite operation to how it's connected.
So to undo the 4 — connected by multiplication — we do division since division is the opposite of multiplication. And to undo the 10 — connected by subtraction — we do addition since addition is the opposite of subtraction.
So far, so good. But here's "the rub." If we were relying on the PEMDAS Order of Operations, it would be logical to undo the 4 by division BEFORE we undo the 10 with addition … because that Order of Operations says you do division before addition.
But the polar opposite is the truth when solving equations!
WHEN SOLVING EQUATIONS, WE UNDO TERMS CONNECTED BY ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION BEFORE WE UNDO TERMS CONNECTED BY MULTIPLICATION OR DIVISION.
Just take a look at how crazy things would get if we followed PEMDAS here.
We have: 4x – 10 = 22
Undoing the 4 by division, we would have to divide all of the equation's terms by 4, getting this:
x – 10/4 = 22/4
What a mess! In fact, now we can no longer even see the 10 we were going to deal with. The mess this creates impels us to undo the terms connected by addition or subtraction before we undo those connected by multiplication or division.
For many, the "Aunt Sally" memory trick works for PEMDAS. I suggest that for solving equations order of operations, we use a different memory trick.
I just remind students that in elementary school, they learned how to do addition and subtraction before multiplication and division. So I tell them that when solving equations, they go back to the elementary school order and UNDO terms connected by addition/subtraction BEFORE they UNDO terms connected by multiplication/division.
And this works quite well for most students. Try it and see if it works for you as well.
Josh Rappaport is the author of the Algebra Survival Guide and Workbook, which together comprise an award-winning program that makes algebra do-able! Josh also is the author of PreAlgebra Blastoff!, an engaging, hands-on approach to working with integers. All of Josh's books, published by Singing Turtle Press, are available on Amazon.com
