Which operation would you perform first in the expression 5 + 3 × 2?

In the expression 5 + 3 × 2, the correct operation to perform first is multiplication. According to the 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)), multiplication has a higher precedence than addition.

Therefore, you would first calculate 3 × 2, which equals 6. Afterward, you would perform the addition, adding the result of the multiplication to 5. This procedure ensures that the mathematical operations are carried out in the correct sequence, yielding the right result. Thus, performing multiplication first is essential for arriving at the correct answer in the given expression.