Parentheses in Math

In math, parentheses are used to indicate the order of operations in an expression. They are also used to group numbers or variables together to show that they should be treated as a single entity.

Order of Operations

When solving an expression that contains parentheses, you should always start by solving the operations inside the parentheses first. The order of operations is:

1. Parentheses
2. Exponents
3. Multiplication and Division (from left to right)
4. Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)

Examples

Here are some examples of how parentheses are used in math:

Example 1: (3 + 5) × 2
Start by solving the operation inside the parentheses: 3 + 5 = 8
Then multiply the result by 2: 8 × 2 = 16

Example 2: 4 × (6 - 2)
Start by solving the operation inside the parentheses: 6 - 2 = 4
Then multiply 4 by the result: 4 × 4 = 16

Study Guide

Here are some key points to remember about parentheses in math:

• Parentheses are used to indicate the order of operations.
• Always solve the operations inside the parentheses first.
• Remember the order of operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction.
• Be careful when dealing with multiple sets of parentheses - work from the innermost set outwards.

Remembering these key points will help you correctly solve expressions that contain parentheses.