Order of Operations Calculator
Solve math expressions in the correct PEMDAS / BODMAS order. Enter parentheses, exponents, ×, ÷, + and − to get the answer with full step-by-step working.
Try an Example
Tap an expression to solve it with steps.
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Order of Operations Calculator (PEMDAS)
When an expression mixes addition, multiplication, exponents, and parentheses, the order you work in changes the answer. The order of operations — PEMDAS in the US, BODMAS in the UK — fixes that order so everyone gets the same result. This calculator evaluates any expression you type and shows each step, labeling the rule it applies (parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division, addition/subtraction) so you can see exactly how the answer is built. It handles parentheses, exponents, decimals, and negative numbers, and settles the famous internet arguments like 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2).
What Is the Order of Operations?
The order of operations is the agreed sequence for evaluating a math expression: Parentheses first, then Exponents, then Multiplication and Division, and finally Addition and Subtraction. PEMDAS ('Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally') and BODMAS are two names for the same rules — Brackets equal Parentheses and Orders equal Exponents. The key subtlety most people miss: multiplication and division are equal in rank and are done left to right, and the same is true for addition and subtraction. So PEMDAS does not mean you always multiply before you divide.
The Order
Parentheses → Exponents → Multiplication & Division (left to right) → Addition & Subtraction (left to right)How to Use This Order of Operations Calculator
Type a math expression, using + − × ÷ ^ and parentheses (or tap the operator buttons).
Use ^ for exponents, e.g., 3^2 for 3 squared.
The calculator evaluates as you type, following PEMDAS order.
Read the answer at the top, then follow the labeled steps below it.
Check the PEMDAS / BODMAS legend to see which rule each step used.
Common Use Cases
Homework & Practice
Check answers to order-of-operations problems with the full working shown.
Learning PEMDAS / BODMAS
See the rules applied step by step until they click.
Settling Viral Math Problems
Get the definitive answer to expressions like 6 + 2 × 3 or 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2).
Checking a Calculation
Verify a multi-step expression you computed by hand.
Teaching
Show students exactly which operation comes next and why.
Spreadsheet & Code Sanity Checks
Confirm how an expression should evaluate before trusting a formula.
Why Use an Order of Operations Calculator?
Get the Right Answer
Mixed expressions are ambiguous without the rules. This applies PEMDAS exactly so your answer matches everyone else's.
See Every Step
Each step shows the expression after one operation, labeled with the rule used — a study aid, not just an answer.
Learn the Tricky Part
It makes the equal-precedence rule visible: ×÷ left to right, +− left to right, so you stop guessing.
Settle the Arguments
Paste viral problems like 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2) and see the authoritative, step-by-step result.
Handles Real Expressions
Parentheses, exponents, decimals, negatives, and implicit multiplication like 2(3 + 4) all work.
Frequently Asked Questions
PEMDAS is the order for evaluating expressions: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, then Addition and Subtraction. You work parentheses from the innermost out, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, and finally addition and subtraction left to right.
Yes. PEMDAS (US) and BODMAS (UK) describe identical rules. Brackets = Parentheses and Orders = Exponents; the M/D and A/S steps are the same. BEDMAS and GEMDAS are other names for the same order.
No. Multiplication and division have equal priority and are performed left to right, whichever comes first. For example, in 8 ÷ 2 × 4 you divide first (8 ÷ 2 = 4) because it's on the left, then multiply (4 × 4 = 16).
It's 12. Multiplication comes before addition, so you first compute 2 × 3 = 6, then add: 6 + 6 = 12. It is not 24 — you don't add first.
Using the standard order of operations, it equals 16. First resolve the parentheses: 2 + 2 = 4, giving 8 ÷ 2 × 4. Then work left to right: 8 ÷ 2 = 4, and 4 × 4 = 16. The 2(...) is implicit multiplication, ranked with division.
Yes. Exponents and roots are evaluated after parentheses but before multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. For example, in 2 × 3^2 you square first (3^2 = 9), then multiply (2 × 9 = 18).