Question: what is the difference between a negative number in parentheses?
Answer: If the negative sign is inside the parentheses you cube the negative with the number, so (-2)^3 = -8. In this case there is no difference in the answers, but if the exponent were even it would make a difference. For example, -(2)^2 = -4, but (-2)^2 = 4, so the place of the negative would matter.