Question

What is the opposite and reciprocal of 1?

Answer 1

The opposite and reciprocal of 1 is `-1/1`, which is just -1.

Answer 2

The opposite of `1` is `-1` and
the reciprocal of `1` is `1`.

Explanation:

The opposite (also known as the additive inverse) is the number we have to add to get an answer equal to the additive identity, `0`. Since `1 + (-1) = (-1) + 1 =0`, the opposite of `1` is `-1`.

The reciprocal (also known as the multiplicative inverse) is the number we have to multiply to get an answer equal to the multiplicative identity, `1`. Since `1 xx 1 =1`, the reciprocal of `1` is `1`.
(The only numbers that are their own reciprocals are `1` and `-1`.)