Math Question

[annissamazing]

Here's an open math question to anyone willing and able to answer it. My teacher didn't cover it last night and I'm too curious to wait until my next class tomorrow.

What's the difference between this: -2²
and this: (-2)²

Is this correct?
-2² = 2*2(-1) = 4(-1) = -4

(-2)² = (-2)(-2) = 4

?

Comments

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are correct.

[annissamazing]

Thanks!

Also, I've been meaning to ask if you're on Facebook. My Livejournal F-list hardly moves at all anymore and I want to make sure I don't lose touch with anyone.

[gement.livejournal.com]

Absobloomin'lutely correct, and you spelled it out better than I could have.

[annissamazing]

Cool. :)

My math book supplies all of the answers in the back of the book and I realized I was treating both problems the same way, but that my results were right about half the time. It was late and I couldn't comprehend what was wrong, but my mind was clearer this morning.

I've been trying to be very careful and show my work exactly the way my book shows. It starts with fundamentals and I want to make sure that I understand them and do them correctly before we get into more challenging areas. I think that's where I went wrong way back in 4th grade (which, incidentally, is about where this math class starts up). I didn't *quite* understand, but moved on anyway.

[gement.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's usually how people get lost in math. It didn't happen to me until calculus integration, but once it did I understood how people get that blank helpless look about math. When you're missing one piece, none of the rest hangs together.

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

I keep forgetting to get back to you on this one.
I'm Heather Gladney there, aka...

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000202512663&ref=mf