Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us
Learning Support
  • What is Learning Support?
    How do I know my Placement?
    What are the requirements?
  • Placement Types
    English Learning Support
    Math Learning Support
  • Resources
    Placement Test Practice
    Study Resources
    Learning Support Courses
  • FAQ
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Contact
    1. UNG
    2. Academics
    3. Learning Support
    4. Video Transcripts

    Mistake 4 - Squaring Negatives

    Students often make the mistake of squaring a negative that's not in parentheses. What will happen is that they look at it and say, "Okay, well, I've got this negative 3 squared. So that obviously equals a 9 and then for the second one, I have negative 3 squared and that equals a 9 also." The mistake in that is that the grouping symbols make a difference - a very large difference. So you have to be careful about that. So, of course, this is incorrect, whereas the second one actually checks out. Let's go through it and talk about what the difference actually is. Here's the correct way of thinking about it. This negative right here means that we’re actually having to multiply by a negative 1. If you don't see grouping symbols around the 3 or the negative 3, that 2 goes along with the 3. So any number that is being raised to a power, if there is no grouping symbols around it, then it only goes with that number beside it. So what we’re really looking at is that this negative here implies that there's a negative 1. So we have negative 1 times (and then, of course, this three squared) is just meaning 3 times 3. So we have negative 1 times 3 times 3 which gives us a negative 9. You have to be really careful about those symbols, especially the negative symbols and grouping symbols. Notice on this second one, we've got this two as a power of this negative 3 inside these grouping symbols. So that means that 2 goes along with this whole entire expression as a negative 3. In order to rewrite this, what this means is that we actually have negative 3 times negative 3. And so, negative 3 times negative 3 is just a positive 9. These are really the correct way to look at powers and things with parentheses in them.

    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment /HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2022 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.1 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy