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Numerical expressions – practice for Years 8–9

Sample questions on Numerical expressions with the right answer and a worked solution, from easy to hard. In the Pickles Academy app a child gets new questions of the same kind every time, so they can't just learn the answers by heart.

Subject
Maths
Year
Years 8–9
Curriculum area
Number and algebra

Question types: Brackets and powers

Rule: Numerical expressions

First brackets and powers, then multiplication and division, last addition and subtraction.

A power belongs only to what stands right next to it: −4² = −16, but (−4)² = 16.

Example: (8 − 4)² × 4 = 4² × 4 = 16 × 4 = 64

Watch out: An odd power of a negative number is negative: (−3)³ = −27.

Sample questions

  1. Question 1 Easy

    Work out: (1 + 5)² − 1²

    Show the solution
    Answer: 35

    How it works: Brackets and powers first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction: (6)² = 36; 1² = 1; 36 − 1 = 35

  2. Question 2 Normal

    Work out: (−2)³ − 8²

    Show the solution
    Answer: −72

    How it works: Brackets and powers first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction: (−2)³ = −8; 8² = 64; −8 − 64 = −72

  3. Question 3 Hard

    Work out: −(−2)² − (−3)³ × 2

    Show the solution
    Answer: 50

    How it works: Brackets and powers first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction: (−2)² = 4; (−3)³ = −27; −4 − (−27) × 2 = −4 + 54 = 50

Related topics

All Maths topics

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