2. What is the first operation you shou perform to evaluate the expression \( 20+(17-9) \times 4 \) ?

To evaluate the expression \( 20+(17-9) \times 4 \), the first operation you should perform is the parentheses. So, you'll start with \( 17-9 \), which equals \( 8 \). This step is important because operations inside parentheses take precedence over addition and multiplication. Once you calculate \( 17-9 \), the expression simplifies to \( 20+8 \times 4 \). This highlights the rule of order of operations, often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction), guiding us through the evaluation of complex expressions effectively!