![]() ![]() Negative baseĬomputing a negative exponent with a negative base is very similar, and just requires us to remember the rule that a negative base raised to an even exponent results in an even number, while a negative base raised to an odd exponent results in an odd number. We know that b -m = 1/b m, so we can move the b m to the numerator by taking the reciprocal, then adding a negative sign:īelow are a few examples of computing negative exponents given different cases. We can see that this aligns with the formula above since 2 -5 = 1/2 5.Īnother way to confirm this is using the property of exponents that states: Rewrite fractional exponents in terms of radicals. Decide whether equations involving exponents are always true or not by testing examples. Use the product rule, quotient rule, and power rule to simplify exponential ex-pressions. For example:Ģ -5 = 1/2 × 1/2 × 1/2 × 1/2 × 1/2 = 1/32 Rewrite expressions with negative exponents so that all exponents are positive. In contrast, a negative integer exponent can be computed by multiplying by the reciprocal of the base, n times. For example, given the power 2 5, we would multiply 2 five times: Briefly, a positive integer exponent indicates how many times to multiply by the base. Refer to the following pages for other exponent cases or rules. This is the equivalent of taking the reciprocal of the base (if the base is b, the reciprocal is b -1 = ), removing the negative sign, then computing the positive exponent as you would normally. In other words, a negative exponent indicates the inverse operation from a positive integer exponent: it indicates how many times to divide by the base, rather than multiply. ![]() Home / algebra / exponent / negative exponents Negative exponentsĪ negative exponent is equal to the reciprocal of the base of the negative exponent raised to the positive power. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |