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spcexcel
spcexcel asked in Science & MathematicsMathematics · 7 years ago

What is the difference between 2² and (2)² ??

My daughter has asked me and I am a programmer of sorts, but my answer was: Nothing.

I'm not a huge math buff, but isn't parentheticals just the order of calculation, just like it is in scripting languages? Why in the world would 2² come out different than (2)² ?

Thanks

Update:

Got it! Thanks!

So it's about order after all, I figured as much ... with parenthesis, the negative sign is forced to be propagated throughout the flow of exponent-multiplying.

Without parenthesis, it's just added as an afterthought, resulting in the final "negative".

2 Answers

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  • billrussell42
    Lv 7
    7 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    They are the same.

    Where this is important would be something like

    –2² and (–2)²

    where the first is –4 and the second is +4

  • KevinM
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    In this case, there is no difference. However there would be a difference in this case:

    -2² and (-2)²

    In order of operations, exponentiation comes before negation. So -2² = -(2²) = -4, and (-2)² = 4.

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