This blew my mind.

[klutchbuster400]

I got back my first algebra test today. I got a 55-F, which I thought was the wierdes thing, so when the prof. went over the test, turns out he magically mixed in my scantron with a different test form. Anyways, it turns out I got a 90-A. Thats not what this is about this, but its leading to it. One of the questions I did get wrong was, -5 squared. I was taught since middle school and a negative squared turns into a postive. Either the stereotype about public school is right, or my teacher is nuts, because he said -5 squared is negative 25, not positive 25.

Just venting, but seriously wth, I've never seen it solved that way.

[shogun323]

You are looking at it as -5 * -5. That does equal positive 25.

Algaebraicly it is written like this.

-(5 squared) = -25     So the negative is applied after 5 is squared.

I hate algebra. I failed it in high school. 

[Da_Mtg_Man]

It never made sense to me either. Logically thinking/speaking, Whe you multiplyor square a negative then you are just going deeper in the hole. Think of it this way. I write 5 checks for $5 each and have a 0 balance in my account. Well, I'm now $25 in the hole.

[Keeter]

It never made sense to me either. Logically thinking/speaking, Whe you multiplyor square a negative then you are just going deeper in the hole. Think of it this way. I write 5 checks for $5 each and have a 0 balance in my account. Well, I'm now $25 in the hole.

Good Lord!!  What hole?  Write a check to JoeDirt for his generator.

[klutchbuster400]

Its just funny that now its explained to me. In highschool they always taught us a negative times a negative gives a positive, same with exponents. I mean, when you put -5 squared into a calculator, even that gives you a positive 25.

[KAW3604x4]

Its just funny that now its explained to me. In highschool they always taught us a negative times a negative gives a positive, same with exponents. I mean, when you put -5 squared into a calculator, even that gives you a positive 25.

Not sure what kind of calculator you have, but you may want to buy one that gives you the right answers.

-5 squared in my calculater gives me an answer of -25.

[likitysplit]

put the (-5) in parentheses then square it and see waht you get

[Keeter]

Its just funny that now its explained to me. In highschool they always taught us a negative times a negative gives a positive, same with exponents. I mean, when you put -5 squared into a calculator, even that gives you a positive 25.

Not sure what kind of calculator you have, but you may want to buy one that gives you the right answers.

-5 squared in my calculater gives me an answer of -25.

Is that the same calculator you used to charge me for my deck?  No wonder your price was sooo good.

[KAW3604x4]

Is that the same calculator you used to charge me for my deck?  No wonder your price was sooo good.

That'd be the one! No wonder I didn't make any money on it!

And yes (-5) squared produces 25 on my calculater.

[Kaw3604x4 Princess]

Is that the same calculator you used to charge me for my deck?  No wonder your price was sooo good.

That'd be the one! No wonder I didn't make any money on it!

And yes (-5) squared produces 25 on my calculater.

You would think that you would have realized something was wrong when you were paying Keeter for the pleasure of building his deck. 

[qt314nfla]

It never made sense to me either. Logically thinking/speaking, Whe you multiplyor square a negative then you are just going deeper in the hole. Think of it this way. I write 5 checks for $5 each and have a 0 balance in my account. Well, I'm now $25 in the hole.

Well I know my bank charges $35 for bounced checks.  So wouldn't that leave you $25 in the hole, plus $175 in bounced check fees? 

[KAW3604x4]

You would think that you would have realized something was wrong when you were paying Keeter for the pleasure of building his deck. 

Yep! You'd a thought!

[Keeter]

Is that the same calculator you used to charge me for my deck?  No wonder your price was sooo good.

That'd be the one! No wonder I didn't make any money on it!

And yes (-5) squared produces 25 on my calculater.

You would think that you would have realized something was wrong when you were paying Keeter for the pleasure of building his deck. 

I call it friendship dues.   

[KAW3604x4]

I call it friendship dues.   

That's funny, 'cause, I call it "LESSON LEARNED" !!!!!  

[Da_Mtg_Man]

It never made sense to me either. Logically thinking/speaking, Whe you multiplyor square a negative then you are just going deeper in the hole. Think of it this way. I write 5 checks for $5 each and have a 0 balance in my account. Well, I'm now $25 in the hole.

Well I know my bank charges $35 for bounced checks.  So wouldn't that leave you $25 in the hole, plus $175 in bounced check fees? 

lol.... Yeah, see, Even more in the hole now.

[Keeter]

I call it friendship dues.   

That's funny, 'cause, I call it "LESSON LEARNED" !!!!!  

I will make it up you on the next job.  PROMISE   I have a couple of projects in mind.    Thanks again

[KAW3604x4]

I will make it up you on the next job.  PROMISE   I have a couple of projects in mind.    Thanks again

  How much will that cost me? 

I was kidding about "LESSON LEARNED"! Turned out to make a good friend! Thanks Keeter!

[Team Alba Z400 Rider 43]

You are just going to have to break it to your professor that he is wrong. -5 squared is positive 25. I'm in Calculus.

[NYRAPTOR]

  (-5) x (-5) = 25

  -5 squared = -25

different but the same, the same but different.

[mrbones]

Google Speaks.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=-5+squared&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

[KAW3604x4]

Google Speaks.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=-5+squared&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Damn it! My calculator does work!!  Then why am I losing so much money?

[LakeMaryKid]

Yep.

-(5) squared = -25
-5 squared = 25

Parentheses first

-Curtis-

[gery350]

the same rule applies. the negative outside the parenthesis is considered a number, negative 1.
 
so -1(5 squared) = -1(25)=
  -1    times   25    = -25
  (neg)  times (pos) = (neg) 

[NYRAPTOR]

do it in reverse, " the square root of -25 = -5"

[quadracer1992]

do it in reverse, " the square root of -25 = -5"

Its impossible to take the square root of a negative number. Unless of course you take into account the Unreal numbers and the variable i. Think of it like this, a negative times a negative gives you a positive, and a negative times a positive gives you a negative. But trying to take the square root of -25, -5 x +5, you get two different numbers. Therefore, there is no one number that is the square root of a negative, unless you use 5i, which is a whole other story.