Is the ½ an exponent? If it is then there's a big difference since ½ as an exponent means square root; the first would equal -2 but the second would be imaginary.
If not, the ½ in the first one makes it look like a mixed number making it negative 4 and a half (same as -4.5) but the second would be a multiplication, -4 times ½ which equals -2
Answers & Comments
Is the ½ an exponent? If it is then there's a big difference since ½ as an exponent means square root; the first would equal -2 but the second would be imaginary.
If not, the ½ in the first one makes it look like a mixed number making it negative 4 and a half (same as -4.5) but the second would be a multiplication, -4 times ½ which equals -2
Yes. And it's not an equation it's a number.
Yes. Either way the answer will be negative. In the particular question the brackets do not make a difference.