Which operation would you perform first in the expression 6 + 2 × 3?

In the expression 6 + 2 × 3, the correct first operation to perform is multiplication. This is because of the order of operations, commonly abbreviated as PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). According to this rule, multiplication takes precedence over addition.

In this specific example, you would multiply 2 by 3 first, which equals 6, and then you would add that result to 6. Thus, the final calculation would be 6 + 6 = 12. Understanding this principle of order of operations is crucial to solving expressions correctly, ensuring that one evaluates mathematical statements consistently and accurately.