7-4+5*0+1? what's the answer?

Question

What's the answer? I think its 2

 

Answer 1

The answer is 4. This is because of order of operations. You must do the multiplication before doing the addition and subtraction. 7-4+5*0+1 = 7-4+0+1 Once you have only addition and subtraction left, you start at the left and work your way to the right. Had there been more multiplication and/or division, you would have done all of these from left to right as well before starting your addition and subtraction. So you get: 7-4+0+1 = 3+0+1     3+0+1 = 3+1     3+1 = 4

Answer 2

Michael makes a very important point. PEMDAS is a useful mnemonic. However it doesn't remind us to perform multiplication and division together from left to right, and then subtraction together from left to right.                                   →              →

When I write PEMDAS I put arrows over the MD and the AS.

Answer 3

Justin's explanation is correct.  Just want to clarify a small point he refers to.

 I think you may have done this and still gotten the incorrect result of 2.

This is because, I suspect, when adding you may have added not adding from left to right.

I.e. you may have gone

7 - 4 + 1

 

7 -    5

 

2

 

which is incorrect.

 

correct order of operations requires

 

7 - 4 + 1

 

  3    + 1

 

        4

Answer 4

This is just order of operations, first multiply 5*0, this is just 0, then you just add the rest of the terms together:

 

7-4+0+1 = 4