Final answer:
A negative exponent means the base is flipped and placed in the denominator, so -x^-1 is equivalent to -1/x.
Step-by-step explanation:
When we have a negative exponent, it means that the base is being flipped and placed in the denominator. So, -x-1 is equivalent to -1/x. For example, if x = 2, then -1/x = -1/2. Similarly, if x = 5, then -1/x = -1/5.