Why such ignorance about squaring negative numbers, as in "-2^2"
[From: ] [author: ] [Date: 11-10-18] [Hit: ]
Finally, a big part of your example is if you are squaring negative 2, which would be (-2)^2, or are you taking the negative of 2 squared, which would be -(2^2).Trust me when I say both of these work out as they should,......
If a number is negative, it is on the opposite side of 0 on the number line than it's positive counterpart, so that is a trait of the number, not something you may do to it later.
Judging by your post, I don't think you will believe this, so hopefully thousands of years of mathematicians much smarter than you, doing it the way you think is false, will convince you.
Finally, a big part of your example is if you are squaring negative 2, which would be (-2)^2, or are you taking the negative of 2 squared, which would be -(2^2). Trust me when I say both of these work out as they should, the first is 4 & the second is -4, regardless of your opinion.
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It is rather annoying that there doesn't seem to be any standard on this.
When you have a function such as f(x) = -x^2, then this obviously means
negative of (x^2). Therefore f(2) = -2^2 = -(2^2) = -4
This is why, when using a calculator, I will enter either (-2)^2 or -(2^2), just to be sure
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As you said, when I enter -2^2, I expect -4. Some calculators will give this result (such as WolframAlpha, google, and my online calculator. Others will not, such as my spreadsheet.
Ματπmφm
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It depends on how it is written.
-2^2 in many textbooks and sources means -(2)^2, which you are right about. First you evaluate the exponent, and you are left with -(4) which is indeed -4.
(-2)^2, however, is different. There is only 1 step, the exponent. When (-2)^2 is written out, it becomes -2 * -2 which is 4.
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-2^2 would = -4 but if it was (-2)^2the that would = 4 and thats why i don't look for math help online because they don't tell you that and it messes up and confuses you
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why would y!a and excel give you wrong answers? -2² means (-2)(-2) that's why the answer is +4
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