BODMAS is an acronym that stands for Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction. It is a rule that defines the order of operations in mathematics. When evaluating an expression, you should follow this order to get the correct result.
| Letter | Meaning | Example Symbols |
|---|---|---|
| B | Brackets | (), [] |
| O | Orders | ^, √ |
| D | Division | / |
| M | Multiplication | * |
| A | Addition | + |
| S | Subtraction | - |
The BODMAS rule is a mnemonic that helps you remember the order of operations when solving mathematical expressions. It tells you to first solve anything in brackets, then any orders (like exponents or square roots), followed by division and multiplication (from left to right), and finally addition and subtraction (also from left to right).
In North America the same hierarchy is called PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction). The logic is identical, only the name different.
For example, in the expression 2 + 3 * 4, you should first perform the multiplication (3 * 4 = 12) and then the addition (2 + 12 = 14). If you don't follow this order, you might get the wrong answer.
The order of operations is crucial in mathematics because it ensures that everyone solves expressions in the same way. If we didn't have a standard order, we could arrive at different answers for the same expression, leading to confusion and errors.
For example, consider the expression 8 - 4 + 2. If you don't follow the order of operations, you might subtract first (8 - 4 = 4) and then add (4 + 2 = 6). But if you follow BODMAS, you would add first (4 + 2 = 6) and then subtract (8 - 6 = 2). The correct answer is 2.
(3 + 4) = 7
7 * 2 = 14
14 - 1 = 13
2^3 = 8
4 * 2 = 8
1 / 2 = 0.5
8 + 8 - 0.5 = 15.5
In the first example, we first solve the expression in brackets (3 + 4), then multiply by 2, and finally subtract 1. In the second example, we first solve the exponent (2^3), then multiply by 4, and finally subtract 1/2.
By following the BODMAS rule, we get the correct answer every time. This is especially important in complex calculations, where a small mistake can lead to a significant error.