Starting with 28, perform the operations: subtract 5, multiply by 4, subtract 5, multiply by 4, subtract 5. What is the final result?

Starting with 28, perform the operations: subtract 5, multiply by 4, subtract 5, multiply by 4, subtract 5. What is the final result?

• A. 320
• B. 343
• C. 350
• D. 299

Answer: (B)

This is about following a precise sequence of operations in order. Each step uses the result of the previous one, so you compute left to right as written. Start with 28, subtract 5 to get 23. Then multiply by 4 to get 92. Subtract 5 to get 87. Multiply by 4 to get 348. Finally subtract 5 to arrive at 343. So the final result is 343. If you changed the order or skipped a step, you’d end up with a different number, which is why this exact sequence gives 343.

This is about following a precise sequence of operations in order. Each step uses the result of the previous one, so you compute left to right as written.

Start with 28, subtract 5 to get 23. Then multiply by 4 to get 92. Subtract 5 to get 87. Multiply by 4 to get 348. Finally subtract 5 to arrive at 343.

So the final result is 343. If you changed the order or skipped a step, you’d end up with a different number, which is why this exact sequence gives 343.