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Because if numerical expressions were simplified in any old order, then different orders would give different answers.

For example,

2+3*5 = 2 + 15 = 17

But if you did it as 2+3*5 = 5*5 = 25


The rules are there to ensure that the same everyone arrives at the same answer every time.

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8y ago

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If you do not follow PEMDAS, your answer will be wrong.

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8y ago
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That's because you get DIFFERENT results, depending on which operation you do first. Here is a simple example:1 + 2 x 3

This can either be 9 or 7, depending which you do first.

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8y ago
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Q: Why is order of operations necessary for simplifying numerical expressions?
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