How to Use the Order of Operations with PEMDAS

Math with Mr. J

This instructional math video features "Mr. J" providing a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the Order of Operations, commonly remembered by the acronym PEMDAS. The video begins by defining the order of operations as a necessary set of rules that ensures everyone calculates the same solution to a math problem. It breaks down the hierarchy: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, and Addition/Subtraction, with a critical emphasis on the "left-to-right" rule for operations on the same level. The core of the video consists of walking through four distinct practice problems that increase in complexity. Mr. J demonstrates the "funnel" method of solving, where one operation is performed at a time, and the remaining parts of the expression are brought down to the next line. The examples cover various scenarios, including simple parentheses, exponents, and the tricky situations where division appears before multiplication or subtraction before addition. This video is an excellent resource for upper elementary and middle school mathematics classrooms. It addresses the most common misconception in order of operations—that multiplication always comes before division and addition before subtraction—by explicitly teaching them as grouped pairs solved left-to-right. The clear, visual chalkboard style allows students to see the structure of a properly solved multi-step equation.