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Vocabulary – Innermost and Outermost Grouping Symbols
publish date: 2026/05/08 23:34:17.323711 UTC
Complete the definition using the expression \(-9 + 2[-5 - 6(-3 - 1)]\):
The parentheses are the (1) grouping symbols and the brackets are the (2) grouping symbols.
Please drag and drop the selected option in the right place or type it instead
innermost
outermost
Correct Answer
(1) innermost
(2) outermost
Explanation
When grouping symbols are nested, always work from the innermost pair to the outermost pair. In \(-9 + 2[-5 - 6(-3 - 1)]\), the parentheses \((-3-1)\) are innermost and the brackets \([...]\) are outermost.
Reference
Mathematics for college students