Order of Operations: 

How do you do a question like this?
 [(9-4)x(5+2)+5-17].
 I cant do a problem like this unless I had a set of directions. The solution is called "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally!" This phrase is an easier way of remembering:

P-     simplify inside the parenthesis

E-     evaluate the exponents 

MD- multiply ans divide, left to right

AS-  add and subtract, left to right

It is vital that you memorize that. You will need it in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry.

Here is an example:

3(5) + 4 - 1   First multiply 3(5)

15 + 4 - 1     Add and subtract from left to right

19 - 1

18

-Joel