Order of Operations: “E” Root Problems

Exponents can be written in different forms. For example as:

• roots
• fractions
• negatives
• logarithms
• polynomials
• etc.

Once you prioritize your order of operations acronym, you can prioritize the exponent accordingly, even in root form.

Connect roots to exponents

Roots are generally rewritten as a fractional exponent when the fractional exponent (x) is 0 < x < 1. In this case:

This is like saying fractions can be rewritten as decimals. But, do your students understand this? If you teach scholars that roots are included as a form of exponents, you can help prevent confusion when scholars see roots while performing the order of operations.

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