To solve this question, we need to recall the correct order of operations in mathematics, which is often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS:
1. Parentheses - Operations inside parentheses should be performed first.
2. Exponents - Operations involving exponents (powers and roots, etc.) come next.
3. Multiplication and Division - These operations are performed from left to right.
4. Addition and Subtraction - These operations are also performed from left to right.
Given this order:
- "Exponents are done before adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing." (This statement is true because exponents are second in the order of operations, right after parentheses.)
- "Calculations outside of parentheses are done before those inside of them." (This statement is incorrect as it contradicts the first rule of PEMDAS, where operations inside parentheses come before any others.)
- "Addition and subtraction are done before multiplication and division." (This statement is incorrect because multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction in the order of operations.)
- "Multiplication is done before division, and addition is before subtraction." (This statement is also incorrect because multiplication and division, as well as addition and subtraction, are performed from left to right, rather than one strictly before the other.)
Therefore, the correct statement regarding the mathematical order of operations is:
Exponents are done before adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
