Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 72%
Practice
The order of operations (PEMDAS) dictates the sequence for evaluating mathematical expressions. If a = 2 and b = -3, what is the value of 3a^2 - 2ab + b^2?
Correct answer
C
Rationale
Given expression: 3a^2 - 2ab + b^2. Substitute the values of a and b: 3(2)^2 - 2(2)(-3) + (-3)^2 = 3(4) + 12 + 9 = 12 + 12 + 9 = 24 + 9 = 33. Therefore, the value of the expression is 33, which corresponds to option C. Options A, B, and D are incorrect as they do not accurately evaluate the expression with the given values of a and b.