Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Plus-Minus (\pm) Symbol in LaTeX

General Questions

What is the LaTeX command for the plus-minus (±) symbol?

The command is \pm, which is used in math mode. Example:

What is the LaTeX command for the minus-plus (∓) symbol?

Use \mp for the minus-plus symbol. Example:

How do I type the plus-minus symbol in inline and display mode?

Inline Mode: $ x = 10 \pm 2 $

Display Mode:

Formatting and Styling

How can I make the ± symbol bold in LaTeX?

Use the bm package and \bm{}:

How do I increase the size of the plus-minus symbol?

Utilize the graphicx package’s scalebox command:

How do I change the color of the ± symbol?

Use the xcolor package:

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Why does the ± symbol disappear inside \raisebox{}?

\raisebox{} takes text out of math mode. Use $…$ or \ensuremath{}:

Why is my \pm not displaying correctly?

For manual spacing modifications, use \,:

How do I fix spacing issues with \pm in equations?

Make sure you are in math mode ($…$ or \[…\]).

Applications in LaTeX

How do I use ± in matrices or tables?

Simply use \pm inside tabular or array environments:

How do I use ± with fractions and square roots?

Example:

How do I write ± in text mode?

Use \ensuremath{}:

Related Symbols in LaTeX

What is the command for the minus-plus (∓) symbol?

Use \mp.

How do I type the approximately equal symbol (≈)?

Use \approx.

How do I type the proportional symbol (∝)?

Use \propto.