I don't get it, like cos 2 times (-3) is still a minus and 3 times it is still a minus and so is 4 times; so how come the first sum is a plus?
2006-08-14 02:21:14 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
I got it. Cos we don't just square the number but rather we square the minus sign too; so there's two minuses and that equals a positive.
2006-08-14 02:30:54 · update #1
Because.
When you square a number, you are multiplying that number times itself the number of times the power is.
Remember, (-3) squared is the same as (-3) to the power of 2 or (-3)^2
So, what you are doing by squaring the -3 is multiplying -3 times -3. Two negatives multiplied always equals a positive.
If you were to cube that -3, or make it (-3) to the power of 3, then you are multiplying it times itself 3 times.
That would be (-3)(-3)(-3). First, multiply the first two (-3)'s. You get 9, right? Then you multiply it times (-3) one more time and you get -27 because a negative times a positive is always a negative.
2006-08-14 07:37:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
2 x (-3) = -6 ---> (b'coz the result of the multiplication between a positive and a negative number is always "negative")
(-3) x (-3) = 9 ---> (b'coz the result of the multiplication between a negative and a negative number is always "positive")
Some examples:
(-2)^2 = 4
(-2)^3 = -8
(-2)^4 = 16
(-2) x (-2) x (2) = 8
(-2) x (-2) x (-2) = -8
(2) x (2) x (-2) = -8
2006-08-14 03:34:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
in the math world two negatives make a positive. Don't ask me why they decided it those math people are a lil wacky! I only wish it worked that way in the real world. heck I would just go give one of my bills to a bill collector and say here you got two negatives, heck they could even keep the change! lol
2006-08-14 02:29:27 · answer #3 · answered by Generation268 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because when you multiply two minus numbers together, they become a plus
2006-08-14 02:44:30 · answer #4 · answered by carlyj09 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
u r actually multiplying -3 by itself so it is actually -3 x -3 so it is positive. easy mistake
2006-08-14 02:26:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
-3 two times becomes +9
-3 three times becomes -27
-3 four times becomes +81
So you query is wrong.Please check it.
2006-08-14 02:25:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The moral to the story is if you think long enough about your question you don't have to loose 5 points asking it
2006-08-14 03:07:06 · answer #7 · answered by Rick Blaine 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋