document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=157295>Question 157295</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I have a difficulty with my daughter's algebra book.  She has been taught something about apply exponents to negative numbers I am not so sure about.  specifically she was taught that -8^2=-64, in effect that the formula is equivalent to -(8)^2, whereas I thought it was the equivalent to (-8)^2 and therefore would be +64.  We checked her textbook and it clearly supports what she was taught, but clearly contradicts what I do in engineering.  Can someone either correct me or point me to a correct resource? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #115927 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=midwood_trail><B>midwood_trail(310)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-10.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=midwood_trail><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=115927\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I understand what you are saying.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Math and physics textbooks are famous for having lots of typos.  \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I have a closet full of math books and I cannot begin to number how many <BR>\n" );
document.write( "so-called right answers are located in the back of each book.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Anytime we square a number, the answer is POSITIVE.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I am not an engineer but consider myself good at math.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It makes perfect sense that (-8)^2 DOES NOT EQUAL -(8)^2.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Case 1:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(-8)^2 = 64\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Case 2:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "-(8)^2 = -(64) = -64\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In case 2, we apply PEMDAS.  As you know, solving exponents come BEFORE multiplication in PEMDAS.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I would say it is a textbook TYPO.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Write back.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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