In what order does the order of operations require an expression to be…

Question

In what order does the order of operations require an expression to be simplified?

Accepted Answer

B. Grouping symbols, then exponents, then multiply or divide, then add or subtract

1. The first step simplifies everything inside parentheses or other grouping symbols, starting with the innermost ones.
2. The second step simplifies any expressions that carry exponents.
3. The third step performs all multiplication and division together, working left to right.
4. The fourth and final step performs all addition and subtraction together, working left to right.
5. Doing addition before grouping symbols, as one wrong option suggests, would give a different, incorrect result on most expressions.
_Source: OpenStax Elementary Algebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 1 "Foundations", section 1.2 Use the Language of Algebra_

Answer

Exponents, then grouping symbols, then add or subtract, then multiply or divide

Answer

Multiply or divide, then add or subtract, then grouping symbols, then exponents

Answer

Add or subtract, then multiply or divide, then exponents, then grouping symbols