Final answer:
In scientific notation, a negative exponent means you move the decimal point to the left, opposite of the rightward movement for a positive exponent.
Step-by-step explanation:
When converting a number from scientific notation with a negative exponent, you should move the decimal point to the left. This movement is the opposite to when you have a positive exponent, where you would move the decimal to the right. For instance, 2.4 x 10-2 requires moving the decimal point two places to the left resulting in 0.024. Conversely, for a positive exponent, like 1.6 x 102, you would move the decimal point two places to the right to get 160. The sign of the exponent indicates the direction: positive exponents move the decimal to the right and negative exponents move it to the left.