Re: TIB: A stupid question

To: ti-basic@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: Re: TIB: A stupid question
From: "James Vernon" <jimbob_v@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 19:06:45 PDT
Delivered-To: ti-basic-outgoing@towerguard.unix.edu.sollentuna.se
Delivered-To: ti-basic@lists.ticalc.org
Reply-To: ti-basic@lists.ticalc.org


On Tue, 18 May 1999 16:48:56 EDT, Lizard3796@aol.com wrote:
>
>This is not so much a programming question as it is a math-logic question
>that happens to involve my calculator.  Please bear with me, it'll just 
>take
>a minute:
>Unless I am wrong, the square of a negative number is positive, because 
>it's
>a negative number times itself.  My calculator begs to differ.  When I 
>input
>-3 x -3 it gives me what I'm pretty sure is the proper answer: +9.  (and I
>know that the '+' isn't neccessary there, but I'm trying to illustrate a
>point).  However, when I input -3^2 (that's to be read as "negative three
>squared" -- can't do superscripts on my email program), it gives me -9.  Is
>there something I'm just not getting here?  Please, my math level is about
>remedial, so I feel pretty stupid anyway..but, thanks to anyone who cares.
>~Alysha
>

That's to do with which order the calc interprets the equation in. This is 
what the calc does:
You enter -3^2, first, the calc does 3 squared, which equals 9, then it 
multiplies this by the negative, which makes it -9. Does that make sense?
To fix this, you can enter it as this:
(-3^2)
That will equal 9 on the calc.

James Vernon
jimbob_v@hotmail.com


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