Plus–minus Sign

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±∓=≠√

	HTML	Meaning
±	`±` `±` `U+B1`	Plus–minus Sign The Plus–minus Sign, denoted as ±, is used in mathematics, science, and engineering to indicate an approximation or a range of possible values.
∓	`∓` `U+2213`	Minus–plus Sign The Minus–plus Sign, denoted as ∓, is used to indicate that the term it precedes is subtracted from the preceding term.
=	`=` `U+3D`	Equal Symbol Represents equality between two sets or mathematical expressions.
≠	`≠` `≠` `U+2260`	Not Equal Symbol The Not Equal Symbol, denoted as ≠, is used in mathematics and computer science to indicate that two values or expressions are not equal to each other.
√	`√` `√` `U+221A`	Square Root Symbol Represents the non-negative square root of a number or expression.

What is the Plus–minus Sign?

The Plus–minus Sign, symbolized by ±, is used to represent an approximation or a range of possible values.

Example of Using Plus–minus

In algebra, you might see the square root of 9 represented as √₉ = ± 3, indicating that it can be either +3 or -3.

Comparing Plus–minus and Minus–plus

The Plus–minus Sign is more commonly used than the Minus–plus Sign. While both symbols indicate uncertainty or variation, the order of operations differs: ± suggests that the term could be either added or subtracted, whereas ∓ implies that the term should be subtracted or added.

Applications and Unique Uses of the Plus–minus Sign

The Plus–minus Sign (±) has various applications and unique uses:

Mathematics: Commonly used to indicate the positive and negative square roots of a number.
Science: Used in scientific notation to represent uncertainty.
Engineering: Employed in technical drawings to indicate tolerances.
Statistics: Appears in reports to show the margin of error.
Chess: Used in chess notations to evaluate positions.

How to Type the Plus–minus Sign Using Keyboard Shortcuts, Alt Codes, and LaTeX

Windows: Hold down the Alt key and type 0177 on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key.
Mac: Press Option + Shift + =.
Linux: Press Ctrl + Shift + u, then type 00B1 and press Enter.
HTML: Use the named entity ± or the numeric entity ±.
LaTeX: To type the Plus–minus Sign in LaTeX, use the command \pm.

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