Final answer:
To express a number with a negative exponent in simpler form, you convert it to a fraction with the numerator as 1 and the denominator as the base raised to the corresponding positive exponent, then evaluate the expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a number is written in exponential form and is raised to a negative power, it indicates that the number is a fraction (or a decimal, if you prefer) with 1 divided by the number raised to the positive power. For example, 10-3 can be written in simpler form as 1/(103) or 1/1000, which equals 0.001. This is because a negative exponent represents the reciprocal of the number with its exponent as a positive. To simplify a number with a negative exponent, you invert the number to a positive exponent and then evaluate.
Let's look at another specific instance: 5-2 is the same as 1/(52) or 1/25, which simplifies to 0.04. Scientific notation is often used to express very large or very small numbers using this method, which simplifies calculations enormously, especially when dealing with exponential arithmetic.