evaluate the following expression. Please type your answer as a fraction.
-3^-4
2007-07-25 06:20:16 · 5 answers · asked by whatever 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
From what I understand... you are asking (-3)^(-4) = ? What is "-3 raised to the -4 power"?
Okay.... well, think of it this way...
(-3)^(-4) is the same as 1 / (-3)^4 = 1 / (-3 * -3 * -3 * -3*) = 1/81
When you have something raised to a NEGATIVE power, it means that that is the same as 1 OVER the same base (in our case "-3"), but raised to a POSITIVE exponent.
So because you have (-3)^(-4) ... that's the same as that being in the numerator OVER a denominator of 1
.... so (-3)^(-4) is the same as (-3)^(-4) / 1
If you have a have a negative power.... think of it this way...
Pretend that a kid is upstairs in the parents' house... and the parents live downstairs.... well, he NEEDS money (negative exponent)... so to have money and be out of debt (positive exponent)... he goes downstairs to get the money....
Likewise... if let's say the problem was...
Evaluate 1 / (-3)^(-4).... like the kid lives in the basement of the parents' house.... he NEEDS money (negative exponent in the denominator or "basement") and so he is going to go upstairs to get money from the parents....
So 1 / (-3)^(-4) is the same as (-3)^4... = -3 * -3 * -3 * -3 = +81
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Based on how most of the kids here type their math question, I do not believe that you meant...
"Evaluate -(3)^-4 ..." because just like you typed -4... I understood that your base was "-3"... not a minus separated from the 3... so the answer that I have at the top of my post is how you evaluate the expression you presented in your question, okay? Your answer will be (like I said)... +1/81 , not negative...
2007-07-25 06:22:40 · answer #1 · answered by blueskies 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If the -3 is in parentheses
(-3)^-4
then 1/81 is correct
(-3)^-4 = 1 / (-3)^4 =
"positive" 1/81
However if the -3 is not in parentheses,
the exponent is calculated first, and the negative
sign remains outside the calculations
-3^-4 is the same as
-(3^-4) which is
"negative"
- 1 / 81
As your question is typed,
the second answer above that is "negative" is correct.
The others showing a "positive" answer are incorrect unless they are changed to "negative"
- 1 / 81
or unless your original question is mistyped and should have parentheses
2007-07-25 13:54:05 · answer #2 · answered by Nghiem E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
minus 3 to the power of minus 4 = .0123 = 1/81
2007-07-25 13:28:16 · answer #3 · answered by J7 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
-3^-4 = 1/(-3)^4 = 1/81
.
2007-07-25 13:25:03 · answer #4 · answered by Robert L 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
- 1/81
2007-07-25 13:24:13 · answer #5 · answered by Kim 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋