If you square a negative number, does it turn positive?

Yes, squaring a negative number results in a positive number. This may seem a bit counterintuitive at first, but let’s break it down.

Squaring a number means multiplying the number by itself. For example, if we take the negative number -3 and square it, we perform the following calculation:

-3 × -3 = 9

In this calculation, both numbers are negative. According to the rules of multiplication, when you multiply two negative numbers together, the result is a positive number. Therefore, -3 squared equals 9, which is positive.

This principle applies to any negative number. If you take any negative number, let’s say -x, and square it, the calculation would look like this:

-x × -x = x²

As you can see, the result is positive because x² (where x is any real number) is always positive or zero.

In summary, no matter what negative number you start with, squaring it will always yield a positive result. This concept is a fundamental part of mathematics and is widely used in various fields such as physics, engineering, and computer science.