The right sequence of suboperations that are performed in arithmetic pipeline…

Correct sequence: Compare the exponents → Align the mantissas → Add or subtract the mantissas → Normalize the result.

1. Step 1 — Compare the exponents: Determine which operand has the larger exponent so you know which mantissa (if any) must be shifted.

2. Step 2 — Align the mantissas: Shift the mantissa of the operand with the smaller exponent to match the larger exponent (align the binary points).

3. Step 3 — Add or subtract the mantissas: Perform the arithmetic on the aligned mantissas.

4. Step 4 — Normalize the result: If the result's mantissa is out of range, shift it and adjust the exponent accordingly; then apply rounding if required.

Why other orders fail:

• Trying to add or subtract before aligning produces incorrect results because the binary points do not match.

• Normalizing before the arithmetic makes no sense because normalization depends on the arithmetic result.

• Alignment requires knowing which exponent is larger, so exponent comparison must come first.