silemus.

17Order of operations

Evaluate −32+4×(−2)\displaystyle -3^2 + 4 \times (-2).

The answer is −17. The key trap is that −3² means −(3²) = −9, not (−3)² = 9. Then 4×(−2) = −8, and −9 + (−8) = −17.

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