= -2^2 is not same as -(2)^2

**tony_touch** · 03-02-2011, 06:55 PM

I just noticed that Excel treats negatives next to other operators as belonging to the number next to it. For instance,

= -2^2

is the same as

= (-2)^2

rather than

= -(2^2).

Is there a way to alter this?

**shg** · 03-02-2011, 06:58 PM

Welcome to the forum.

Is there a way to alter this?

No.

The minus sign in Excel is used as both the (binary) subtraction operator and the (unary) negation operator. As the negation operator, it has the highest precedence of all operators. That's the way it has always been.