Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) Practice Test

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When squaring a negative number, what can be said about the result?

It is negative
It is zero
It is positive
It is irrational

The correct answer is: It is positive

When squaring a negative number, the result is always positive. This occurs because squaring a number means multiplying that number by itself. For example, if we take a negative number like -2, squaring it would yield (-2) × (-2), which results in 4. The multiplication of two negative numbers leads to a positive product. This property holds true for any negative number. Therefore, regardless of how large or small the negative number is, its square will always be a positive number. The only exception is the number zero, which is neither positive nor negative and squares to zero, not applicable in this context. The other answer choices do not accurately describe the outcome of squaring a negative number.