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by **MOUSETAILS** on Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:56 pm

can anyone explain the difference between ( i will just use these numbers as examples)

-27 4/3 and (-27) 4/3

I am getting confused when the difference is when the number is just negative and when there are parenthesis around it

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by **Martingale** on Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:02 pm

MOUSETAILS wrote:can anyone explain the difference between ( i will just use these numbers as examples)

-27 4/3 and (-27) 4/3

I am getting confused when the difference is when the number is just negative and when there are parenthesis around it

I see both as

$-27\frac{4}{3}=\frac{-27\cdot4}{3}=-\frac{108}{3}=-36$

or

$-27\frac{4}{3}=-9\cdot3\frac{4}{3}=-9\cdot\not{3}\frac{4}{\not{3}}=-9\cdot4=-36$

by **MOUSETAILS** on Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:15 pm

i think i typed it wrong here is a better example of what i am confused with:

-9^2

(-9)^2

by **stapel_eliz** on Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:16 pm

MOUSETAILS wrote:can anyone explain the difference between ( i will just use these numbers as examples)

-27 4/3 and (-27) 4/3

Do you maybe mean the "4/3" to be a power, so the expressions are as follows?

. . . . . $-27^{\frac{4}{3}}\, \mbox{ and }\, (-27)^{\frac{4}{3}}$

. . . . .Formatting Math as Text

by **Martingale** on Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:24 pm

MOUSETAILS wrote:i think i typed it wrong here is a better example of what i am confused with:

-9^2

(-9)^2

$-9^2=-(9^2)=-(9\cdot9)=-81$

$(-9)^2=(-9)(-9)=81$

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