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A negative exponent simply means that the base is on the wrong side of the fraction line.

For example, if you have x-2, you can turn this into a positive exponent by moving the base to the denominator and changing the sign on the exponent. The result would be:


1
--
x2

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Q: What is the Definition of negative exponents?
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Related questions

What is the math definition of Negative Exponent Property?

property of negative exponents


Why do you think the definition for polynomials is so restrictive?

The definition for polynomials is very restrictive. This is because it will give more information. It excludes radicals, negative exponents, and fractional exponents. When these are included, the expression becomes rational and not polynomial.


Can you have negative exponents in the denominator?

You can have negative exponents anywhere. When they are in the denominator, they are equivalent to positive exponents in the numerator of a fraction.


When a negative exponent has no meanig but is introduced to complete the set of exponents?

It certainly has a meaning. It is only meaningless if you consider powers as repeated multiplication; but the "extended" definition, for negative and fractional exponents, makes a lot of sense, and it is regularly used in math and science.


Can monomials have negative exponents?

Yes, monomials can have negative exponents. When a monomial has a negative exponent, it means that the variable or variables in the monomial are in the denominator of the fraction. For example, x^(-2) is equivalent to 1/x^2. Negative exponents indicate that the variable should be moved to the opposite side of the fraction line and the exponent becomes positive.


Why do you have negative exponents?

Negative exponents are used to represent 1 divided by an a base to a specific exponent.


The exponents in the terms of a polynomial must be?

why the exponents can not be negative


When multiplying binomials that turn out negative do you add or subtract exponents?

When multiplying numbers with exponents, you add the exponents.


What are exponents in math?

An integer exponent is a count of the number of times a particular number (the base) must be multiplied together. For example, for the base x, x^a means x*x*x*...*x where there are a lots of x in the multiplication. The definition is simple to understand for integer values of the exponent. This definition gives rise to the laws of exponents, and these allow this definition to be extended to the case where the exponents are negative, fractions, irrational and even complex numbers.


How do you change powers with negative exponents to powers with positive exponents?

by doing reciprocal


What is -5y-8 with positive exponents?

3


How do you figure out negative exponents?

They are the reciprocals of the positive exponents. Thus, x-a = 1/xa