To win a contest, Hagrid’s dad must answer this skill-testing question: x = ______ With a partner, find as many ways as you can to answer this question.

Strategies x = ______

Obviously, we need an order: Evaluate the expression: add first, you get: x 4 = 9 x 4 = 36 multiply first, you get: x 4 = = 7 ***Rule: multiplication (or division) is done before addition (or subtraction). So: x 4 or 24 – 8 ÷ 2 = = = 27 =

We can also use brackets if we want certain operations carried out before anything else: 2 x 4 x ( ) What would we do first, second, third with this rule in mind? =

Now we have: Brackets Multiply & Divide Add & Subtraction We can use an acronym: BDMAS OR Brackets Multiply Divide Add Subtraction

BDMAS ***One more important rule: 1 – we’ve checked for anything inside brackets 2 – we’ve checked for multiplication or division and done those. But what if we have both x or ÷ or more than one of each? e.g. 12 x 4 ÷ 8 or 12 x 4 x 8 We calculate in order from left to right. It doesn’t matter whether x or ÷ comes first.

BDMAS The same goes for addition and subtraction: ***After you take care of BDM you do any Addition or Subtraction in order from left to right.

Solve: 18 – =

Solving this expression using BDMAS looks like this: ÷ 2 (divide 1 st ) = 16 – 7 (then subtract) = 9 **Reminder** I’ve lined up the = signs. You must do this for solving multistep (solving on more than one line) problems like this.

…and this? 8 x (7 – 2) + 1 =

To Review: Brackets Multiply OR Divide – in order from left to right Add OR Subtraction – in order from left to right Our acronym: BDMAS ***In grade 7 you will add an E for ‘exponents’ which will make our acronym BEDMAS but don’t worry about that yet

Practice Handout