Math question: Negative X squared?

Question

Okay, my friend and I were trying to figure this out. She says that "-x squared" is negative x and taking the square of it (looks like this (-x) squared.) However, I do not agree...I think it is x squared and then you take the negative of it. (Looks like this: -(x)squared) I think it is based on order of operations. (you know PEMDAS) She thinks I am very wrong. We are working with parabolas so please help me out. Thanks a bunch!

Okay, the question is written -x^2+10x I think that if you added a one to this equation that it would be 9 she thinks 11. -(1)^2 is the way I write it. She writes it (-1)^2. So, I dunno. I do order of operations.

Answer 1

My opinion is that it is based on the order of operations. With no parentheses, the exponential goes first, then the minus sign.

Answer 2

It looks to me like you were having an argument over how the spoken "negative x squared" should be written or calculated.

I think that "negative x squared" only has meaning if it is -(x^2), since the alternative (-x)^2 = x^2, i.e., there is no reason to verbalize the negative.

Thus, I agree with you, not your friend.

Answer 3

(-x)^2 is the same as x^2, because when you multiply -x times -x, the negatives cancel

by writing it -(x)^2 or even -x^2 you would keep the x to the side and do the squaring, then put the negative back, so the final answer would be - (x^2)

looks like your friend is right

Answer 4

The first one...negative x squared would always result in a negative answer because the action of squaring a number is before the action of adding or subtracting (the minus sign).

Answer 5

-x^2 equals -x^2 because you are just squaring the x but if you were to say (-x)^2 then the answer would be x^2 because you are saying -x*-x and neg times neg is a positive

Answer 6

Your friend is right. Order of operations doesn't enter into it, since you are only performing one operation (squaring the number). -X is the identity of the number you are squaring, not an operation.

The answer will be the same as if you just had X squared.

Answer 7

If you multiply a negative number by itself, the negative will cancel out and the product will be a positive number. So -x² is the same as x².

Taking the square root of a negative number is another situation entirely.

Answer 8

it is (-x) because if it was in a math problem and x were a number it would look fine. For example 5 (-2+6) or five times negative two plus six.

Answer 9

When you type "negative x squared" it can be interpreted either way. I would imagine that it would be simply -x^2. Which implies that -(x^2) is correct.

Answer 10

-x^2