-5[4 - (-3)(2)]
The word to remember is PEMA, Parentheses, Exponentials, Multiplication, and
Addition. However we must remember that division is considered a kind of
multiplication, and similarly subtraction is considsered a kind of addition.
The first letter of PEMA is P for Parentheses.
First we look for lowest level of parentheses (brackets ARE parentheses) which
contains operations to be done. the parentheses (-3) and (2) have no
operations in them, so we look at the next higher level of parentheses, the
brackets, [4 - (-3)(2)]. There are no parentheses in the bracket with
operations to be done. So we look to the next letter of "PEMA", which is E for
exponentials. There are no exponentials in that bracket, so we go to the next
letter of PEMA, which is "M" for multiplication (including division). There
is a multiplication, namely (-3)(2) which is -6. Put this in parenmtheses and
replace the (-3)(2) with (-6)
-5[4 - (-6)]
Now we start over with P for parentheses. The bracket is the lowest level of
parentheses that has operations to be done. It contains no lower level of
parentheses which have operations within them to be done. Then we come to E
for exponents. There are none. Then we come to N for multiplications (or
divisions). There are none. Then finally we come to A for addition
(including subtraction). There is a subtraction " 4 - (-6) which is really
the addition 4+6 or 10. So we replace the [4 - (-6)] by (10).
-5(10)
Now the only thing to do is this multiplication. So the answer is
-50
Edwin
AnlytcPhil@aol.com