Solve.
4(-1^2) = ?
My calculator says its -4
I got +4
Help Please.
It depends on if it is (-1)^2 or -1^2
How does that make difference though? It's negative one to the power of two either way.
no. -1*-1=+1
-(1*1)=-1
Oh, now I understand. Thanks for helping!
To solve this expression, let's break it down step by step.
Starting with the expression 4(-1^2), we need to follow the order of operations, which is also known as PEMDAS.
1. Parentheses: In this case, there are no parentheses to evaluate.
2. Exponents: Next, we evaluate any exponents. In the given expression, we have -1^2. Remember that exponentiation takes precedence over multiplication.
Now, a common mistake is to think that -1^2 equals -1. However, that is not correct. The negative sign in front only applies to the number immediately following it, which is 1 in this case. So, -1^2 means squaring 1, not -1.
3. Multiplication: After evaluating the exponent, we proceed to multiply the result by 4. In this case, 1^2 equals 1, so we have 4 * 1.
Therefore, the correct answer is 4 because 4 multiplied by 1 is 4.
In this particular instance, the calculator's answer of -4 is incorrect. It seems that the calculator is applying the negative sign to the entire expression (4 * -1^2) rather than just the 1.
To avoid confusion or potential calculation errors, it is advisable to explicitly use brackets or parentheses to clearly indicate which part of the expression needs to be squared. For example, writing 4 * (-1)^2 will help ensure accurate calculation.