Step-by-Step Breakdown:
1. Multiplication first
According to the rules, multiplication must be done before addition or subtraction.
$$3 \times 4 = 12$$
Now, substitute that back into the equation:
$$15 – 12 + 6$$
2. Subtraction and Addition (Left to Right)
When you are left with only addition and subtraction, you simply perform them in the order they appear from left to right.
- First, the subtraction:$$15 – 12 = 3$$
- Then, the final addition:$$3 + 6 = 9$$
Final Result:
9
Why people often get this wrong:
If you “rush” and go strictly from left to right without following the order of operations, you might do $15 – 3 = 12$, then $12 \times 4 = 48$, and $48 + 6 = 54$. However, in mathematics, multiplication always takes priority over basic addition and subtraction!
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