2 + 2 \div 2 \times 2
At first glance, it may look straightforward—but the key is to follow the order of operations, often remembered as PEMDAS:
- Parentheses
- Exponents
- Multiplication and Division (from left to right)
- Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)
Step-by-step solution:
Step 1: Check for parentheses and exponents
There are none in this expression, so we move on.
Step 2: Handle division and multiplication (left to right)
We do NOT go strictly left-to-right across everything — we must prioritize division and multiplication first.
The expression becomes:
2 + (2 ÷ 2 × 2)
Now solve from left to right within this part:
- First: 2 ÷ 2 = 1
→ Now the expression becomes:
2 + 1 × 2 - Next: 1 × 2 = 2
→ Now the expression becomes:
2 + 2
Step 3: Perform addition
- 2 + 2 = 4