Given that anything to the power of 0 is 1, can you please confirm these statements (in case I see them on the GRE!):
(-x)^0=1
-x^0=-1
Thank you!
GRE Forum Archive
3 postsPage 1 of 1
- kucz.adam
- Students
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2014 3:42 pm
- Videoorchard
- Prospective Students
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:58 am
Re: Powers of Zero
Sup Adam,
Greetings of the day.Look I am not a connoisseur in the exponents but anyway here's my take.
(-x)^0=1 and -x^0=-1 are different. here's why.
if x=2
1. (-2)^0 = 1
2. -2^0= -1
The reason,the answer is -1 in the second equation is because negative sign gets multiplied after doing the power operations. i.e 2^0=1..then multiply -ve sign. hence the result=-1.
You might wanna wait till tommy confirms it though! :)
Good Luck!
Greetings of the day.Look I am not a connoisseur in the exponents but anyway here's my take.
(-x)^0=1 and -x^0=-1 are different. here's why.
if x=2
1. (-2)^0 = 1
2. -2^0= -1
The reason,the answer is -1 in the second equation is because negative sign gets multiplied after doing the power operations. i.e 2^0=1..then multiply -ve sign. hence the result=-1.
You might wanna wait till tommy confirms it though! :)
Good Luck!
- tommywallach
- Manhattan Prep Staff
- Posts: 1917
- Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:18 am
Re: Powers of Zero
Video nailed this one on the head.
It bothers a lot of people (including me), but when you raise a number that has a negative sign but no parentheses to a power, the negative sign is applied after the exponent resolves.
-2^2 = -4
I know it's crazy and weird and horrible. But such is life.
-t
It bothers a lot of people (including me), but when you raise a number that has a negative sign but no parentheses to a power, the negative sign is applied after the exponent resolves.
-2^2 = -4
I know it's crazy and weird and horrible. But such is life.
-t
3 posts Page 1 of 1