Same Answer, Different Signs?

Question

How come 2x2 and 2+2 both equal 4?

Answer 1

Because they are both different ways to say the same thing!

2 x 2 means "take the number two and add it to zero two times"

2 + 2 means "take the number two and add two too it"!

Answer 2

This is something of a coincidence.
3+3 does not equal 3*3
1+1 does not equal 1*1

However, 2 times 2 is "twice 2", which happens to be the same as 2+2 since two times any number is that number plus itself.

Answer 3

If you want a "deeper" reason, it's because multiplication is repeated addition and because both are binary (2-argument) operations. For similar reasons, 2^2 = 2x2. The only other examples are the corresponding neutral elements: 0+0=0x0 and 1x1=1^1.

Answer 4

Here's another one: -2 x -2 also equals 4 :)

Answer 5

x*x = x+x
x^2-2x=0
x(x-2) =0
x =0 or x=2

So this property holds only for 0 & 2 among all real numbers.