Question

Please help… Algebra 1: (-2)^-5

Answer 1

`-(1)/(32)` or -0.03125

Skills needed: Exponents

Explanation:

1) Negative exponent means 1 over if it was positive:

`2^(-2) = (1)/(2^2)`

In this case:
`-2^(-5)=(1)/((-2)^5)`

2) Let's expand the
`(-2)^5` part:

Remember that the exponent (the smaller number in the top-right) shows how many times the base (bigger number) is multiplied by itself.

In this case:

`(-2)^5` =
`-2*-2*-2*-2*-2`

We know that:
`-2*-2=4`

So the above simplifies into:
`4 * 4 * -2` =
`16*-2` =
`-32`

3) That is the denominator in the fraction:

`(1)/(-32)` which is
`-(1)/(32)`

Answer 2

-0.03125

Explanation: