The reciprocal of x is 1/x which can also be written as x-1. Thus x-a = 1/xa.
Chat with our AI personalities
They can be written as reciprocals with positive exponents. For example, 5-7 = (1/5)7
The slope of parallel lines are the same, but the slope of perpendicular lines are negative reciprocals of each other.
For example, 10 to the power -5 means the same as 1 divided by (10 to the power 5). In general, you can interpret negative exponents this way, with reciprocals.
Two numbers are negative reciprocals if their product is -1. The numbers 1/2 and -2 are negative reciprocals. Their product is -1. This is often seen in problems involving the slopes of two lines. The slopes of perpendicular lines are negative reciprocals. Their product is -1.
Negative reciprocals of one another.