Dev Shed Lounge
 
Forums: » Register « |  User CP |  Games |  Calendar |  Members |  FAQs |  Sitemap |  Support | 
User Name:
Password:
Remember me

The Shed is going Social! Join us on FaceBook and Twitter and chime in on the conversation.

Go Back   Dev Shed Forums > Other > Dev Shed Lounge
Reload this Page

Exponents and negative numbers..


Reply
Add This Thread To:
  Del.icio.us   Digg   Google   Spurl   Blink   Furl   Simpy   Y! MyWeb 
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »  
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
 
Unread Dev Shed Forums Sponsor:
  #1  
Old December 28th, 2011, 01:33 AM
breadbox's Avatar
breadbox breadbox is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 63 breadbox User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Day 1 h 49 m 45 sec
Reputation Power: 2
Exponents and negative numbers..
So I'm pretty new and terrible at all this, but I figured seeing as I'm off to uni next year I would get better at Math...

So anyway, I'm reading these notes: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/Alg/Preliminaries.aspx

And I get most of it fine, except stuff like this:

(-10)^2 = 100, or (-2)^4 = 16

It confuses me. Maybe those notes weren't the best thing to start on? :S

But that's all I'm having trouble with, so far...

Any help would be great, and any books/notes that helped you when starting out would be great :3

Thank you very much.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old December 28th, 2011, 01:38 AM
breadbox's Avatar
breadbox breadbox is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 63 breadbox User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Day 1 h 49 m 45 sec
Reputation Power: 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by breadbox
So I'm pretty new and terrible at all this, but I figured seeing as I'm off to uni next year I would get better at Math...

So anyway, I'm reading these notes: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/Alg/Preliminaries.aspx

And I get most of it fine, except stuff like this:

(-10)^2 = 100, or (-2)^4 = 16

It confuses me. Maybe those notes weren't the best thing to start on? :S

But that's all I'm having trouble with, so far...

Any help would be great, and any books/notes that helped you when starting out would be great :3

Thank you very much.


I mean, 10x10 is obviously 100, so does that mean ignore the subtraction even though it gets the power? If so, why do you ignore it?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old December 28th, 2011, 01:48 AM
leszek31417 leszek31417 is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 313 leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level)leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level)leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level)leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Week 2 Days 18 h 56 m
Reputation Power: 0
You are kidding ...
Comments on this post
ishnid disagrees: That's not very encouraging.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old December 28th, 2011, 02:47 AM
breadbox's Avatar
breadbox breadbox is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 63 breadbox User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Day 1 h 49 m 45 sec
Reputation Power: 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by leszek31417
You are kidding ...


No...?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old December 28th, 2011, 02:55 AM
breadbox's Avatar
breadbox breadbox is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 63 breadbox User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Day 1 h 49 m 45 sec
Reputation Power: 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by breadbox
No...?


Because -10^2 is = -(10x10) isn't it? Which is -100, so I'm a little confused how it isn't a negative when the subtraction gets the power?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old December 28th, 2011, 02:59 AM
kicken's Avatar
kicken kicken is offline
Wiser? Not exactly.
Dev Shed God 1st Plane (5500 - 5999 posts)
  
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Bonita Springs, FL
Posts: 5,654 kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)kicken User rank is General 37th Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)  Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6Folding Points: 2670569 Folding Title: Super Ultimate Folder - Level 6
Time spent in forums: 2 Months 2 Weeks 2 Days 5 h 1 m 44 sec
Reputation Power: 3436
Quote:
Originally Posted by breadbox
except stuff like this:

(-10)^2 = 100, or (-2)^4 = 16

It confuses me.


Unless I am mis-understanding what your saying, maybe this is what you need to read:
Multiplying Negatives
__________________
Recycle your old CD's, don't just trash them


Spidermonkey Tutorial;

If I helped out out, show some love with some reputation, or tip with Bitcoins to 1N645HfYf63UbcvxajLKiSKpYHAq2Zxud
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old December 28th, 2011, 03:07 AM
breadbox's Avatar
breadbox breadbox is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 63 breadbox User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Day 1 h 49 m 45 sec
Reputation Power: 2
[QUOTE=kicken]Unless I am mis-understanding what your saying, maybe this is what you need to read:
[url=http://www.mathsisfun.com/mult

Yes thank you, this is what I needed.

Good thing I'm used to feeling like an idiot
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old December 28th, 2011, 09:54 PM
E-Oreo's Avatar
E-Oreo E-Oreo is offline
Lost in code
Click here for more information.
  
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,931 E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)E-Oreo User rank is General 91st Grade (Above 100000 Reputation Level)  Folding Points: 945 Folding Title: Novice Folder
Time spent in forums: 2 Months 7 h 43 m 47 sec
Reputation Power: 7053
You should probably read this too:
order of operations

Quote:
And I get most of it fine, except stuff like this:
(-10)^2 = 100, or (-2)^4 = 16

Quote:
Because -10^2 is = -(10x10) isn't it? Which is -100, so I'm a little confused how it isn't a negative when the subtraction gets the power?

-(10*10) does equal -100 and does equal -10^2; however, (-10)^2 is not the same value - the parenthesis have actual meaning. Because terms inside parenthesis have higher operator precedence than the exponent operator, the negative sign stays with the ten and you have -10*-10, which equals 100.
__________________
PHP FAQ
How to program a basic, secure login system using PHP

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spad
Ah USB, the only rectangular connector where you have to make 3 attempts before you get it the right way around
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old December 28th, 2011, 11:12 PM
leszek31417 leszek31417 is offline
Contributing User
Dev Shed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 313 leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level)leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level)leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level)leszek31417 User rank is Corporal (100 - 500 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Week 2 Days 18 h 56 m
Reputation Power: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by breadbox
...
Good thing I'm used to feeling like ...


Don't !!!

It is OK to ask for explanations.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Viewing: Dev Shed Forums > Other > Dev Shed Lounge > Exponents and negative numbers..

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Developer Shed Advertisers and Affiliates



Thread Tools  Search this Thread 
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes  Rate This Thread 
Linear Mode Linear Mode
Rate This Thread:


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
View Your Warnings | New Posts | Latest News | Latest Threads | Shoutbox
Forum Jump

Forums: » Register « |  User CP |  Games |  Calendar |  Members |  FAQs |  Sitemap |  Support | 
  
 


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

© 2003-2013 by Developer Shed. All rights reserved. DS Cluster - Follow our Sitemap