Mathematics.Algebra - ChatArea.com

Mathematics Forum

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outime Quote \| Reply \|	verify this for me posted on: 9/11/2007 6:08:24 PM on a math test i had the other day there was what i thought was a easy question it was 2 -7 negative seven squared which equals positive 49 correct? the teacher marked it wrong and thought it should be -49 which is right?
cramwit Quote \| Reply \|	verify this for me replied on: 9/18/2007 12:17:21 PM parentheses would make it explicitly clear. either -(7)^2 or (-7)^2 i don't know if a leading negative or the exponentiation is considered to take precedence in the absence of parentheses. I am kind of thinking you are correct, the numeric quantity is negative 7, and it is the numeric quantity that gets squared. If it had been 0 - 7^2 then i think the teacher would have been correct since i would interpret that as the operation 'subtract' the numeric quantity positive seven, and it is the positive 7 that gets squared. subtract is relational between two numbers whereas [leading] negative is intrinsic to the numeric quantity itself. You should try to research to find out for certain, And anyone feel free to correct me, but if this were a democratic issue [but it is of course not] you get my vote.
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