Final answer:
The expression (-10)² equals 100 because we square the negative number, whereas -10² equals -100. After all, we square the number 10 first and then apply the negative sign.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between (-10)² and -10² lies in the positioning of the parentheses and how they affect the calculation of the expression. When we calculate (-10)², we square the entire negative number, meaning we multiply -10 by itself, giving us 100.
However, for -10², the absence of parentheses means that we only square the 10 and then apply the negative sign, resulting in -100.
Hence, the expression (-10)² equals 100, while -10² equals -100 because of the order of operations, where exponents are calculated before applying the negative sign in the second case.