Order of Operations (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
Order of Operations
What is the order of operations?
The order of operations is what determines the sequence in which calculations are performed within a formula
The order of operations ensures the calculation is completed correctly
A spreadsheet performs all calculations using a mathematical order of operations known as BIDMAS
B | Brackets first |
|---|---|
I | Indices (power of and square root etc.) |
DM | Division and Multiplication (left to right) |
AS | Addition and Subtraction (left to right) |
Case Study
Consider the following example spreadsheet:
| A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 | 20 |
|
2 | 5 | 15 |
|
3 |
| =20*2 |
|
If you input the formula "=A1+B3" in cell C1, the result will be 50, because B3 is calculated first (20*2=40), and then A1 is added (10+40=50)
If you input the formula "=(A1+B1)*2" in cell C2, the result will be 60, because A1+B1 is calculated first (10+20=30), and then the result is multiplied by 2 (30*2=60)
Exam Tip
It's always a good idea to use brackets to make sure that your formulae work as expected, even if they might not be necessary
It makes the formula easier to read and understand
It can prevent errors if the formula is edited in the future
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