Question

If the base is 4, what is the value if the exponent is 2? What if the exponent is -2?

Answer 1

In the world of exponents, 4 is the number being raised by the exponent, which is 2.

Let's answer the first question:

If the base is 4, what is the value if the exponent is 2?

• The base is 4 and the exponent is 2. We would multiply 4 two times.

`4^2= 4*4 = 16`

So, it would be 16.

Let's answer the second question:

What if the exponent is -2?

This is the rule for negative exponents:

`a^(-x)=(1)/(a^x)`

Using this rule, we can solve
`4^(-2)`.

`4^(-2)= (1)/(4^2)=(1)/(16)`

So, our answer for the 2nd question is 1/16.