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Why does the base matter when simplifying negative exponents?

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Answer:

A negative exponent just means that the base is on the wrong side of the fraction line, so you need to flip the base to the other side. For instance, "x–2" (pronounced as "ecks to the minus two") just means "x2, but underneath, as in 1 x 2 \frac{1}{x^2} x21 ".

Explanation:

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