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Explain how -3 to the power for and (-3) to the power of 4 are similar? How are they different?

User Keymap
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1 Answer

3 votes
-3^4 tells you to take the number 3 and multiply it by itself 4 times.

-3^4 = -3 * 3 * 3 * 3
Ignoring the negative in front until the end.
= -81

(-3)^4 tells you to take the number -3 and multiply it by itself 4 times.

(-3)^4 = (-3) * (-3) * (-3) * (-3)
Which gives us a different result,
= 81
User Lasonic
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