OnlineCalculatorOrder of operations
Expressions are evaluated using the standard precedence: brackets first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right. When in doubt, add brackets — they cost nothing and remove ambiguity.
A frequent source of error is writing 2x when you mean 2*x. Implicit multiplication is conventional on paper but must be written explicitly here.
Supported notation
| You write | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 2*x^2 | Two times x squared |
| sqrt(x) | Square root of x |
| abs(x) | Absolute value |
| (x+y)/2 | Mean of x and y |
| pi | 3.14159… |
Substitution, step by step
Evaluating an expression means replacing each variable with its value and then simplifying. For 2x² + 3x − 5 at x = 3: substitute to get 2(9) + 3(3) − 5, which simplifies to 18 + 9 − 5, giving 22. The ledger above shows the substitution so you can verify each stage.