Home > Prealgebra > Exponents

How do you simplify #-4^2#?

Answer 1

Julian Avila

#-4^2=-16#

#-4^2# is just negative of #4^2# or #16#

Hence #-4^2=-16#

This is different from negative exponents (where the question was originally classified).

Negative exponent would be something like #4^(-2)#, which is equivalent to #1/4^2# or #1/16#

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Jeremiah Andrews

#-4^2 = -16#

If this term had been in a calculation there would not have been the slightest hesitation in answering:

# 10 + 5^2 color(blue)(- 4^2)#

# = 10+25 color(blue)(-16)#

# = 35color(blue)(- 16)#

In #-4^2# there are two operations happening, subtract, and raising to a power.

Because of the rules for order of operations,PEDMAS, BODMAS, etc, the more powerful operation (squaring) has to be done first. #-(4^2)#

#-4^2 " means: take away the answer to " 4xx4 , so -16#

#(-4)^2 " means "(-4) xx (-4) = +16#

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 3

Autumn Arnold

To simplify -4^2, you first perform the exponentiation, then the multiplication. So, -4^2 becomes -(4^2), which equals -(16). Therefore, -4^2 simplifies to -16.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.