What is the difference between opposite and reciprocal

The results they produce are absolutely nothing alike, and clearly demonstrate just how important it is we do not confuse and mix up these terms. Fill your Cell Phone up with Ringtones and Graphics. Ads by Project Wonderful! Math Made Easy: Inverse, Reciprocal, and Opposite One of the keys to being successful in mathematics is understanding the exact meanings of the nomenclature we use to describe it. Graphed, -x 2 looks like this, just a reflection of the original function: Now that we can see all three graphs, look just how radically different they all are.

The first type of opposite is the one you might be most familiar with: positive numbers and negative numbers. For example, the opposite of 4 is -4 , or negative four. On a number line, 4 and -4 are both the same distance from 0 , but they're on opposite sides. This type of opposite is also called the additive inverse. Inverse is just another word for opposite , and additive refers to the fact that when you add these opposite numbers together, they always equal 0.

In fact, any number you can come up with has an additive inverse. No matter how large or small a number is, adding it and its inverse will equal 0 every time. If you've never worked with positive and negative numbers, you might want to review our lesson on negative numbers. The main time you'll use the additive inverse in algebra is when you cancel out numbers in an expression. If you're not familiar with cancelling out, check out our lesson on simplifying expressions.

This reciprocal silence is probably significant. What is reciprocal relationship? How do you reverse reciprocal? What does reciprocal mean in maths? What part of speech is reciprocal? What is reciprocity in a relationship? What is the reciprocal of half? What is a reciprocal of 4? What is the opposite of 3 4? Where do you use the opposite of the opposite? Why do we use reciprocals? What is the opposite of 1 3?

What is the reciprocal of 13 as a fraction? Does zero have a reciprocal? How do you solve for Mayra's speed if Mayra runs 3 and a quarter miles in one-half hour? What is the reciprocal of square root of 2? What is the opposite and reciprocal of ?

See all questions in Applications of Reciprocals.