🧱 See It
BEDMAS from before still applies exactly the same way: brackets first, then multiply/divide, then add/subtract. The only new twist is that any of those numbers can now be negative, so every step needs a sign check on top of the arithmetic.
−3
4
×
−2
The bundle idea still applies — but now some of the tiles are negative.
✏️ Draw It
Same first move as always: number the operations in the order they'll happen, before calculating anything.
−3
②
+
4
①
×
(−2)
Multiply happens first (①), then add (②) — exactly like before negatives were involved.
🔢 Write It
−3 + 4 × (−2)
Step 1 — do the multiplication (different signs → negative):
4 × (−2) = −8
Step 2 — do the addition (same signs, both negative → add and keep the sign):
−3 + (−8) = −11
Three separate jobs, three separate steps: (1) what order? (2) what sign? (3) what number? Never combine two of these into one mental step.
💡 Worked Examples
Example 1: −3 + 4 × (−2)
- Order: multiply first, then add.
- Multiply:
4 × (−2) = −8(different signs → negative) - Add:
−3 + (−8) = −11(same signs → add, keep sign) - Answer:
−11
Example 2: (−2 − 5) × 3
- Order: brackets first, then multiply.
- Brackets:
−2 − 5 = −7 - Multiply:
−7 × 3 = −21(different signs → negative) - Answer:
−21
🧠 Quick Reference
BEDMAS decides the ORDER. The same-sign/different-sign rules decide the SIGN. Do them as two completely separate checks — never guess a sign while also figuring out what to calculate next.