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How come you can take the square root of a positive number but not a negative?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
The square root of a number has two roots; by definition the answer multiplied by itself is the square root of the result. Two numbers multiplied by themselves always ends up positive; for example sqrt(36) = +6 or -6; +6 x +6 = +36 and -6 x -6 = +36. The sqrt of a negative number is imaginary and is a multiple of the imaginary number, i.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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What two negative numbers added together equal positive 7?
A negative number added to a negative number will always come out negative.
What does subtracting a negative number is the same as adding a positive number mean?
Example; 8-(-2) = 10 is the same as.......8+2 =10When you subtract a negative number, the subtraction symbol (-) and negative symbol(-) come together and you are now adding because it is a now a positive number (+). This is the simplist way I can describe it.
What does I mean in square root -1?
The square of any real number is non-negative. For example (-3)2 = +9 So, no real number can have a negative square root. Occasionally, though, mathematicians come across the need to find the square root of a negative number (for example in solving some quadratic equations). So they invented a family of numbers called imaginary numbers and the i (lower case) stands for the imaginary square root of -1. Apart from having a negative square, they are just like "ordinary" real numbers.
Does a negative number have any square roots?
Yes, they are numbers in the complex field.Look at it this way: You started to count with positive integers. But with only those numbers subtraction was limited. You could not take 3 from 2. The solution was to introduce negative numbers. That expanded the number system and what you could do with them.You learned to divide, but you could not divide 2 by 3. This time the solution was to introduce [rational] fractions. Again, the number system was expanded as was the range of and its power.You learned about square roots but even common numbers like 2 did not have a square root that was a rational number. So you introduced irrational numbers. Once again, the number system was expanded as was the range of and its power.The next hurdle was the square root of negative numbers. The solution was to introduce complex numbers. And once again ... you guessed!The introduction of each additional set of number comes as you get into more complicated areas of the subject. In the UK you will not come across complex numbers until you study further mathematics at A level.The square roots of -9, for example, are ±3iwhere i denotes the square root of -1.
Why are brackets needed to square negative numbers?
If you were to do -92, following the order of operations, exponents come before subtraction. Because of this -92 = -(92) which is -81. The quantity negative nine, squared, however is positive 81. In order to show that you want the entire quantity negative nine squared, you must use parenthesis (or brackets): (-9)2 = 81. This shows to do the "subtraction" first.
How do you square root a negative number?
There are no real answers for a square root of a negative number. Try it on a good scientific calculator (some calculators simply square root the positive, ignoring the negative input), and it should come up with a math error.
How does a -2 come out as a positive when multiplied?
When it is multiplied by a negative number. ■
What two negative numbers added together equal positive 7?
A negative number added to a negative number will always come out negative.
When you add a positive with a negative does it come out positive or negative?
Its negative
Which metals attract as opposed to repel?
All of the metals attract and repel, but if a: negative and positive come together= attract positve and a negative come together= attract negative and negative come together= repel positive and positive come together= repel
When a positive and a negative are being multipied does it come out positive?
no, negative....if you multiply two negatives it comes out positive
Can your test come out positive then negative?
If it's a pregnancy test the answer is no, A test can come back negative even though its positive. But if it's positive, it's positive 99% of the time.
What does subtracting a negative number is the same as adding a positive number mean?
Example; 8-(-2) = 10 is the same as.......8+2 =10When you subtract a negative number, the subtraction symbol (-) and negative symbol(-) come together and you are now adding because it is a now a positive number (+). This is the simplist way I can describe it.
How do positive and negative neutrons form?
They don't. A neutron is neutral; it doesn't come in positive and negative versions.
Why do square roots come in pairs but cubed roots don't?
The square of a negative number is the same as the square of its positive counterpart, aka its additive inverse ( [-2]2 = 22 = 4), so every positive number has two square roots, a positive one and negative one (both 2 and -2 are square roots of 4). However, the cube of any number will always have the same sign as the original number (23 = 8, [-2]3 = -8). This all follows from simple arithmetic with signs. The product of any two negative numbers is positive, as is the product of any two positive numbers, while the product of a negative number and a positive number is negative. All squares, by definition, are the product of either two positive numbers or two negative numbers, and in either case, the product must be positive. But a cube is the product of a number and its square (x3 = x * x * x = x2 * x). But we already know that the square must be positive, whether original number is positive or negative. So the sign of the original number determines the sign of the cube (because a positive number times a positive number is positive and a positive number times a negative number is negative). If you apply that rule in reverse, then the sign of the cube root must be the same as the sign of the number you are taking the cube root of. Think of it this way. If you are trying to calculate the square root of a number, y, you are looking for another number, x, for which it is true that x * x = y. For any positive number y, there are always two values of x that satisfy that equation, with one being positive and the other being negative, but both having the same absolute value. And therefore, every positive number has two square roots. On the other hand, if you are trying to find the cube root of a number, y, you are looking for a number, z, for which it is true that z * z * z = y. For any number, y, either positive or negative, there will be only one value of z that satisfies that equation. Therefore, every number, positive or negative, has just one cube root. Actually, technically, once you get into higher mathematics, what is really going on is that every number has 3 cube roots, but they all just happen to have the same value. In fact, for any "degree" of root (square root, cube root, 4th root, 5th root, ... 100th root, ...) the number of roots of a number is exactly equal to the degree of the root (a number will have 4 4th roots, 5 5th roots, 10 10th roots, 99 99th roots, etc.) But, if the degree of the root is odd, then all of the roots will have the same value, while if the degree is even, the roots will be evenly split between two values that are the additive inverses of each other. For example, the 5th roots of -243 are -3, -3, -3, -3, and -3, while the 6th roots of 64 are 2, 2, 2, -2, -2, and -2. Note also that negative numbers cannot have any roots of any even degree (square roots, 4th roots, 6th roots, etc.) Actually, even that's not true when you get into really advanced math. Even negative numbers have even-degree roots, it's just that the roots are not real numbers. They are "imaginary" numbers. This is, I'm sure, way beyond your level of education in mathematics, and I'm not trying to confuse you. But if I hadn't included these last two paragraphs, some wise-guy mathematician would come along and "correct" me, and in the process probably confuse you even more. For your purposes, however, just ignore the last two paragraphs.
If a proton is negative and a neutron is positive when they come together equally how can there be positive and negative atoms?
Loss or gain of electrons.
What does I mean in square root -1?
The square of any real number is non-negative. For example (-3)2 = +9 So, no real number can have a negative square root. Occasionally, though, mathematicians come across the need to find the square root of a negative number (for example in solving some quadratic equations). So they invented a family of numbers called imaginary numbers and the i (lower case) stands for the imaginary square root of -1. Apart from having a negative square, they are just like "ordinary" real numbers.
