Mixed Operations
Year 6 students apply the four operations with whole numbers and decimals in multi-step problems, selecting efficient strategies and checking reasonableness.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
The order of operations (BODMAS/PEMDAS) determines which calculations are performed first
Estimation is a key checking tool — round numbers to quickly judge whether an answer is sensible
Multi-step problems require identifying the operations needed in the correct order
Inverse operations can be used to check: addition undoes subtraction, division undoes multiplication
Key Vocabulary
Order of operations
The agreed sequence: brackets first, then ×÷, then +−
Inverse operation
The reverse operation that undoes another (e.g. × and ÷)
Multi-step problem
A problem that requires more than one operation to solve
Estimation
An approximate calculation used to check the reasonableness of an answer
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
Calculate: 3 + 4 × 5
Question 2
A school buys 8 boxes of pencils at $4.75 each and 3 pens at $2.50 each. What is the total cost?
Question 3
What is (24 ÷ 6) + (3 × 7)?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●The order of operations (BODMAS/PEMDAS) determines which calculations are performed first
- ●Estimation is a key checking tool — round numbers to quickly judge whether an answer is sensible
- ●Multi-step problems require identifying the operations needed in the correct order
- ●Inverse operations can be used to check: addition undoes subtraction, division undoes multiplication