All of the verbal expressions below are ambiguous. Rewrite each expression two times:
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The first time, write the expression to indicate that either multiplication or division happens first.
-
The second time, write the expression to indicate that either addition or subtraction happens first.
Use parentheses to indicate which operation comes first. Give both the arithmetic and verbal expression. We’ve done the first one for you.
| Ambiguous Expression | Multiplication/division first. | Addition/subtraction first. | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
The product of 10 and 8 decreased by 5 |
5 less than the product of 10 and 8 by 5
(10 × 8) − 5
|
Multiply the difference between 8 and 5 by 10
10 × (8 − 5)
|
2 |
The product of 1/3 and 30 increased by 4 |
||
3 |
The difference between 100 and 6 multiplied by 9 |
||
4 |
The sum of 6 and 12 divided by 3 |
||
5 |
The quotient of 60 and 10 increased by 5 |
These materials were developed partly through support of the National Science Foundation, (awards 1042210, 1535276, 1648684, 1738598, 2031479, and 1501927). 
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