Table of Contents
- Negative Exponents
- Negative Exponent as Positive Exponent
- Positive Exponent as Negative Exponent
- Summary
- What’s Next?
In the previous segment, we learnt what Exponents are. In this segment, we will learn about Negative Exponents.
What are Negative exponents?
When the power of a given number is negative, it is a negative exponent.
For example,
Consider 13−4. Here, the base is 13 and -4 is the negative exponent.
How to express a negative exponent as a positive exponent?
A negative exponent can be expressed as a positive exponent in the form of a fraction whose numerator is 1 and the denominator is a number formed by changing the sign of the exponent.
That is, ?−? = 1
??
, ?ℎ???? ≠ 0.
For example,
3−4 = 3−4 × 34
34
= 3−4×34
34
= 3−4+4
34
=30
34
= 1
34
∴ 3−4 = 1
34