How do you simplify # 1-4+5-(-2)#?

1 Answer
Hugo C.
Nov 8, 2015

4

Explanation:

We use BIDMAS. This stands for:
Brackets
Indices
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction.

Even though it might seem as though Multiplication goes after Division and Subtraction after addition, they are at the same level, so you'd follow a left-to-right order.

So, we first do Brackets:
We have #-(-2)#. This equals #2#.
No Indices, Divisions, or Multiplications, so we pass into Addition and Subtraction:
#1-4+5-(-2)#, but we've done Brackets:
#1-4+5+2#.
We then follow a left-to-right order:
#1-4=-3#
#-3+5=2#
#2+2=4#. So, we are left with #1-4+5-(-2)# being equal to:
#4#.

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