Question

-3^-2

(-3 to the power of -2)​

Answer 1

Explanation:

`a^(-n)=(1)/(a^n)\\\\-3^(-2)=-(1)/(3^2)=-(1)/(9)`

`\text{If it would be}\ \left(-3)^(-2)\ \text{then the answer would be positive}:\\\\\left(-3\right)^(-2)=(1)/((-3)^2)=(1)/(9)`

Answer 2

`(1)/( - 9)`

Explanation:

Exponent rules state that a number to a negative power is equal to one over that number to the number of the negative power (except the power is now positive).

Following this we end up with

`\frac{1}{ { - 3}^(2) }`

Since an exponent only affects the number immediately to its left, the negative sign is not counted when we square 3. 3 squared is 9 so the answer is one over negative 9.