Fractions – Order of Operations

I. Remember that according to our order of operations, or PEMDAS,

multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction, so for
the problem below, as much as we're tempted to subtract right away, we
must divide 2/7 by 6/5 as our first step.

II. Also remember that multiplication and division are to be done based on
order of appearance as we read the problem from left to right. So in
the problem below, since the division appears before the multiplication as we
read the problem from left to right, we divide before multiplying.

III. Addition and subtraction are also to be done based on order of

appearance as we read the problem from left to right.

IV. When working the problems in this unit, change all integers to fractions.
For example, think of the 4 in the problem above as 4/1.
Fractions – Order of Operations

Simplify the following:

 1  2 4  3 9 2

1.  −    2. - 4  + 4  ÷  7 
2 3 3      
(9)  1   8  (2)  3 9 7
 −  -  + ⋅ 
(9)  2   9  (2)  4 4 2
9 16 (2)  3   63 
− - + 
18 18 (2)  4   8 
7 6 63
- - +
18 8 8
57
8

5  10 
( 5 ) − 
11 
3.    (9) ÷   4.  + (1)
8  3  5
 5   9   10  (5) 5  11  1 (5)
 ⋅  ÷   − +
8  1  3  (5) 1  5  1 (5)
9
25 11 5
45 3 − +
⋅ 5 5 5
8 10 2
19
27 5
16

 1 5  2  7   1   21 
5.  4  −  6  ÷ - 3  6. -    ÷  
 6 2  8 
     
 1   7   1  8 
 1  5   3  - ⋅ ⋅- 
 − ⋅ -  6   2   21 
 4   2 6   2 
   1   2 
1 5 - 7 ⋅- 8 
+  3 12   21 3 
4 4    
6 1 2
4 ⋅
3 3
3 2
2 -
9
  9  9  5   25 
7.  10  −  8  − ( -2 ) 8.  - 9  ÷  - 12  ÷ ( -4 )
       
(4) 9 (5) 9 2 (40)  1
  4

− +  - 5  ⋅  - 12  ÷ ( -4 )
(4) 10 (5) 8 1 (40)
 3 9   25 5 
36 45 80
− +    
40 40 40 1
4  1 
71 ⋅ - 
15  4 1 
40
1
-
15

2 2
 4  3  1
9. -   -  10. ( -10 )   
 3  4 2
 1   1   5   1  1 
- 4 ⋅- 3 ⋅ - 3   - 10  ⋅   
 1 3   4 1   4     21  2 
    5 1
- ⋅
3 1 2
-
4 5
-
2