document.write( "Question 79368: Simplify and evaluate. Use only positive exponents.
\n" ); document.write( "-3^2=? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #56961 by Edwin McCravy(20060)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "Simplify and evaluate. Use only positive exponents.\r\n" );
document.write( "-32=?\r\n" );
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document.write( "This is tricky. The answer is -9.\r\n" );
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document.write( "(-3)2 is +9 but -32 is -9\r\n" );
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document.write( "Why is this?\r\n" );
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document.write( "When there is a negative sign \" - \" in front it always\r\n" );
document.write( "means \"negative one times\" or \" -1× \"\r\n" );
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document.write( "So when you see\r\n" );
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document.write( "-32 \r\n" );
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document.write( "you must think of it as\r\n" );
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document.write( "-1×32\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then you must do the exponent 2 first,\r\n" );
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document.write( "replacing the 32 by 9, getting\r\n" );
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document.write( "-1×9\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then you do the multiplication, getting\r\n" );
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document.write( "-9.\r\n" );
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document.write( "On the other hand, if you see this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "(-3)2 \r\n" );
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document.write( "Then you must think of it as\r\n" );
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document.write( "(-3)(-3)\r\n" );
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document.write( "which give you +9 or just 9.\r\n" );
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document.write( "I realize that is confusing but you'll get\r\n" );
document.write( "used to it.\r\n" );
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document.write( "If you have -24 that means -1×24 which\r\n" );
document.write( "is -1×2×2×2×2 or -16.\r\n" );
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document.write( "But if you see (-2)4 that means (-2)(-2)(-2)(-2)\r\n" );
document.write( "which is +16.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Now as it turns out, if you see\r\n" );
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document.write( "-23 that means -1×23 or -1×2×2×2 = -8\r\n" );
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document.write( "and if you see (-2)3 that means (-2)(-2)(-2) = -8\r\n" );
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document.write( "So when the exponent is odd, they turn out to be the\r\n" );
document.write( "same!  \r\n" );
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document.write( "But when the exponent is even, they are different.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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