How do you simplify $-4^2$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2016-06-10T09:00:33

$-4^2=-16$

$-4^2$ is just negative of $4^2$ or $16$

Hence $-4^2=-16$

This is different from negative exponents (where the question was originally classified).

Negative exponent would be something like $4^(-2)$ , which is equivalent to $1/4^2$ or $1/16$

Answer 2 · 2016-07-23T22:41:58

$-4^2 = -16$

If this term had been in a calculation there would not have been the slightest hesitation in answering:

$10 + 5^2 color(blue)(- 4^2)$

$= 10+25 color(blue)(-16)$

$= 35color(blue)(- 16)$

In $-4^2$ there are two operations happening, subtract, and raising to a power.

Because of the rules for order of operations,PEDMAS, BODMAS, etc, the more powerful operation (squaring) has to be done first.
$-(4^2)$

$-4^2 " means: take away the answer to " 4xx4 , so -16$

$(-4)^2 " means "(-4) xx (-4) = +16$

How do you simplify -4^2-4^2?