re: Spinoff: X=6/2(2+1)

A(B+C)shows the multiplying (AB+AC). If you do that operation first, which is completely acceptable since multiplication takes place at the same time as division in order of operations, then the parenthesis are now in the denominator. There is NOTHING that states you must do the division in the equation before distributing that A across the argument in the parenthesis except left to right. That's how people come up with 1. You state that you need to show the parenthesis around the entire denominator to do that operation first. I'm saying that you have to put the parenthesis around (6/2)to do that operation first. You are only doing that operation first because you are reading left to right. That is not enough to define the order of operations.