Which of the following statements is true regarding the order of operations?

The correct statement regarding the order of operations is that exponents are solved first. The order of operations provides a set of rules that dictate the sequence in which different mathematical operations should be performed to ensure that calculations are consistent and accurate.

According to the standard order of operations, often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)), exponents have the highest precedence. When evaluating an expression, any exponentiation must be completed before moving on to multiplication, division, addition, or subtraction, which confirms that handling exponents first is a critical step in solving mathematical problems.

Evaluating the other statements helps clarify why they do not hold true. For instance, addition is actually performed after multiplication and division unless there are parentheses indicating otherwise. Parentheses are resolved first, not last, as they represent operations that should take priority. Multiplication and division are considered to have the same precedence and are performed from left to right based on their position in the expression, rather than one always preceding the other. Hence, the sequence of operations is foundational in ensuring that expressions are interpreted and calculated correctly.