Excel Quiz Question

October 21st, 2005

2 + 3 * 4 =

Which is the correct answer?

a.) 24
b.) 20
c.) 14

If you were paying attention in junior high school math class, you know about the Order of Operations, which dictates that formulas evaluate multiplication and division before addition and subtraction.

Therefore, Excel reads this formula as 2 + 12, not 5 * 4, and the correct answer is 14. (24 is not an option, but someone in class always guesses it, so I thought I’d throw it in).

If you need a handy mnemonic for remembering the Order of Operations, or the order in which formulas are evaluated, remember

PEMDAS, or

P lease Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

(P = Parentheses, E = Exponent, M = Multiplication, D = Division, A = Addition, S = Subtraction).

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One Response to “Excel Quiz Question”

  1. Pioneer Training » Blog Archives » Index Says:
    June 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 am

    […] Excel Quiz Question–The Order of Operations […]

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