Evaluate the expression 6 × (4 − 1) + 2.

Evaluate the expression 6 × (4 − 1) + 2.

• A. 18
• B. 22
• C. 20
• D. 24

Answer: (C)

Follow the order of operations: do what's inside parentheses first, then multiply, then add. Inside the parentheses, 4 − 1 equals 3. Next, multiply 6 by that result: 6 × 3 = 18. Finally, add the remaining 2: 18 + 2 = 20. So the expression equals 20. If you skip adding the final 2, you’d get 18. If you ignore the parentheses and do the operations in a different order, you’d end up with a different number as well. The key is to handle the parentheses first, then multiply, then add.

Follow the order of operations: do what's inside parentheses first, then multiply, then add. Inside the parentheses, 4 − 1 equals 3. Next, multiply 6 by that result: 6 × 3 = 18. Finally, add the remaining 2: 18 + 2 = 20. So the expression equals 20. If you skip adding the final 2, you’d get 18. If you ignore the parentheses and do the operations in a different order, you’d end up with a different number as well. The key is to handle the parentheses first, then multiply, then add.