use the properties of eponts to simplfiy the expresion below -2^-5

1 answer

To simplify the expression \(-2^{-5}\), we can use the properties of exponents.

  1. Negative Exponent Rule: \(a^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n}\)

Using this rule, we can rewrite \(-2^{-5}\) as:

\[ -2^{-5} = -\frac{1}{2^5} \]

  1. Next, we need to calculate \(2^5\):

\[ 2^5 = 32 \]

  1. Substituting this back into the expression gives:

\[ -2^{-5} = -\frac{1}{32} \]

Thus, the simplified form of \(-2^{-5}\) is:

\[ -\frac{1}{32} \]