How do you simplify #-10^2#?

2 Answers
Feb 16, 2017

#-10^2 = -100#
it's helpful for the rest of your math life to view expressions in parentheses

Explanation:

note that #-10^2# and #(-10)^2# give different results
#-10^2 = (-1)(10)(10) = -100#
#(-10)^2 = (-10)(-10) = 100#

think of #-10^2# as #(-1)(10^2)#
and #-10^2# is the same as #-(10)^2#

it's helpful for the rest of your math life to view expressions in parentheses

#-10^2 = -100#

#-100#

Explanation:

This question is all about the order of operations: BEMDAS, or

  • B (brackets)
  • E (exponents)
  • M (multiplication)
  • D (division)
  • A (addition)
  • S (subtraction)

The term #-10^2# has two operations:

  • multiplication between #-1# and 10, and
  • the exponent which takes 10 to the second power

The E, or exponent, comes first:

#-10^2=-1xx10^2=-1xx100=-100#

If we our question as #(-10)^2#, then we'd have the B, or term within the bracket go first, which would give us #-10#, which is then squared to get 100:

#(-10)^2=(-1xx10)^2=(-10)(-10)=100#