A positive exponent tells us how many times to multiply a base number, and a negative exponent tells us how many times to divide a base number. ... We can rewrite negative exponents like x⁻ⁿ as 1 / xⁿ.
Can an exponent be a negative number?
A negative exponent is defined as the multiplicative inverse of the base, raised to the power which is opposite to the given power. In simple words, we write the reciprocal of the number and then solve it like positive exponents. For example, (2/3)-2 can be written as (3/2)2.
What do negative exponents mean?
The negative sign on an exponent means the reciprocal. Think of it this way: just as a positive exponent means repeated multiplication by the base, a negative exponent means repeated division by the base. So 2^(-4) = 1/(2^4) = 1/(2*2*2*2) = 1/16.
