ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Common operator notation

Alright kiddo, do you remember when you learned how to add and subtract numbers? That's called basic math, right? Well, sometimes we need to do more complex calculations like finding the area of a shape or figuring out how much time is left until your bedtime. These calculations involve more advanced math and that's where common operator notation comes in.

The operators are the symbols we use in math to tell our brains what operation to perform. The most common operators are the plus sign (+), the minus sign (-), the multiplication sign (x or *), and the division sign (/). These symbols help us know what to do with the numbers we're working with.

For example, if we have two numbers like 4 and 5, we can use the plus sign (+) to add them together and get a total of 9. If we have two numbers like 6 and 3, we can use the multiplication sign (x or *) to multiply them together and get a total of 18.

Now, let's say we want to do more than one operation in a calculation, like 5 + 4 x 2. We have to use a special rule called "order of operations" to figure out the answer. This means that we have to do the multiplication first, and then the addition. So we get 5 + (4 x 2) = 5 + 8 = 13.

Common operator notation just means that we use these symbols and rules to write out math problems in a way that everyone can understand. It's like a secret code that math experts use to talk to each other and solve problems.

So remember, kiddo, operators are symbols we use in math like +, -, x, and / to tell our brains what operation to perform. Common operator notation is just using these symbols and the order of operations to write out math problems in a way that everyone can understand. Pretty cool, huh?