According to the order of operations, expressions inside parentheses are evaluated first, while addition and subtraction are evaluated last. For the given expression, this means evaluating the expressions inside the parentheses before dividing and subtracting.
(40+24)Ă·8-(2^2-1)
Notice also that even within the parenthetical expression, we must obey the order of operations.
2^2-1
For this problem, we must remember to evaluate the exponent before subtracting.
Operation
Before Simplification
After Simplification
Calculate power
(40+24)Ă·8-(2^2-1)
(40+24)Ă·8-( 4-1)
Add and subtract terms
( 40+24)Ă·8-( 4-1)
( 64)Ă·8-( 3)
Calculate quotient
64Ă·8-3
8-3
Subtract term
8-3
5
The expression equals 5.
Alternative Solution
Using a Calculator
We can also evaluate this expression using a calculator. To do so, type it as shown below.
