Order of Operations (BIDMAS/BODMAS) Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What does BIDMAS stand for?

Brackets, Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction.

In the order of operations, which comes first: multiplication or division?

Neither — do them left to right. The same applies to addition and subtraction.

Where does a square root come in the order of operations?

With indices — after brackets, before multiplying and dividing.

True or false? To work out $10 \times (3 + 5)$ you multiply first.

False. Brackets come first: $3 + 5 = 8$, then $10 \times 8 = 80$.

What are the steps to work out a calculation using BIDMAS?

e.g. $2 + 3 \times 4^2$

1. Indices first: $4^2 = 16$
2. Then multiply: $3 \times 16 = 48$
3. Then add: $2 + 48 = 50$

What are the steps to insert a pair of brackets to make a calculation correct?

e.g. $30 \div 3 + 2 - 4 = 2$

1. Work out what BIDMAS gives with no brackets: $10 + 2 - 4 = 8$, too big
2. Bracket a pair so a lower-priority step happens first: $30 \div (3 + 2)$
3. Check: $6 - 4 = 2$ ✓