To solve the problem using reverse PEMDAS, we need to follow the steps in the opposite order of the typical PEMDAS acronym.
P stands for Parentheses
E stands for Exponents
MD stands for Multiplication and Division (from left to right)
AS stands for Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)
Now, let's break down the problem step-by-step:
1. Let's assume the number of pages Susan read yesterday as "x".
2. According to the problem, today's pages read is 17, and that's 8 pages fewer than 1/3 of the pages she read yesterday. So, we can write the equation as: 17 = (1/3)x - 8.
Now, let's analyze the equation and determine the order of operations:
1. We start with the 'MD' step, which means we perform any multiplication or division operations from left to right. In our equation, there is no multiplication or division, so we move to the next step.
2. Moving on to the 'AS' step, we perform addition and subtraction operations from left to right. In our equation, we have subtraction where we subtract 8 from (1/3)x. So, we can rewrite the equation as: 17 = (1/3)x + (-8).
3. Now, we can simplify the equation further by combining like terms. In this case, 17 and -8 are numbers, so we can rewrite the equation as: 17 + 8 = (1/3)x.
4. Adding 17 and 8 gives us 25, so the equation becomes: 25 = (1/3)x.
5. Finally, we solve for x by isolating it on one side of the equation. In this case, since (1/3)x is multiplying 25, we need to perform the opposite operation, which is division. Therefore, we divide both sides of the equation by (1/3) to solve for x. This results in: x = 25 / (1/3).
In conclusion, the number of pages Susan read yesterday can be calculated by dividing 25 by 1/3.