Simplify

74 - 4 × (5 - 2)2

1 answer

One way to simplify this expression is to use the order of operations, which is also known as PEMDAS. This stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), and Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). First, we simplify what's inside the parentheses, then we apply the exponent, and then we perform the multiplication:

74 - 4 × (5 - 2)2
= 74 - 4 × 32 (5 - 2)2 = 9, because we perform the exponent before subtraction
= 74 - 4 × 9
= 74 - 36
= 38

Therefore, 74 - 4 × (5 - 2)2 simplifies to 38.