Milly likes to multiply by 3, Abby likes to add 2 and Sam likes to subtract 1. In what order should they perform their favourite actions to start with 3 and end with 14?

To determine the order in which Milly, Abby, and Sam should perform their favorite actions to start with 3 and end with 14, let's analyze the problem step by step.

### Operations:
- **Milly**: Multiply by 3.
- **Abby**: Add 2.
- **Sam**: Subtract 1.

### Starting with 3:
We need to perform operations to eventually reach 14.

Let's test different sequences of operations:

### 1. Milly, then Abby, then Sam:
- Start with 3.
- Milly multiplies by 3: \( 3 \times 3 = 9 \).
- Abby adds 2: \( 9 + 2 = 11 \).
- Sam subtracts 1: \( 11 - 1 = 10 \).

This does not give us 14.

### 2. Milly, then Sam, then Abby:
- Start with 3.
- Milly multiplies by 3: \( 3 \times 3 = 9 \).
- Sam subtracts 1: \( 9 - 1 = 8 \).
- Abby adds 2: \( 8 + 2 = 10 \).

This does not give us 14 either.

### 3. Abby, then Milly, then Sam:
- Start with 3.
- Abby adds 2: \( 3 + 2 = 5 \).
- Milly multiplies by 3: \( 5 \times 3 = 15 \).
- Sam subtracts 1: \( 15 - 1 = 14 \).

This sequence gives us the desired result.

### Conclusion:
The correct order is **Abby (add 2) first, then Milly (multiply by 3), and finally Sam (subtract 1)**.

Would you like more details or have any questions?

Here are some related questions for further exploration:

1. If you start with 5 and want to end with 28 using the same operations, what would the order be?
2. What if Sam subtracts 2 instead of 1? How would that affect the order for starting with 3 and ending with 14?
3. Can you find another number that could start at 3 and reach 14 using the same set of operations but in a different order?
4. If Milly, Abby, and Sam performed their operations twice in sequence, could you reach 20 starting from 3? If so, how?
5. What if Abby added 5 instead of 2? Would the same order still work to reach 14 from 3?

**Tip:** When working with sequences of operations, consider the effect of each operation individually and how it can move you closer to the target number.

Explore the solution to the problem where Milly likes to multiply by 3, Abby likes to add 2, and Sam likes to subtract 1. Learn the correct order of operations to start with 3 and end with 14. Includes step-by-step analysis and alternative sequences. Suitable for students in Grades 4-6.

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