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For example, 10 to the power -2 is defined as being the same as 1 divide by (10 to the power 2).Defining it this way ensures that many common rules for exponents continue being valid for all numbers, positive or negative - for example, (x to the power a) times (x to the power b) = x to the power (a + b).

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8y ago
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8y ago

It is the same as the reciprocal of the base raised to the corresponding positive exponent.

b^-x = 1/(b^x) = (1/b)^x

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Q: What does it mean when a base is raised to a negative exponent?
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What does the term negative exponent mean in math?

the exponent is a negative


What does exp mean in a mathematical equation?

it can either mean the number e raised as an exponent or it can mean just simply and exponent.


What does it mean when an exponent is a negative number?

A negative exponent is the reciprocal of the corresponding positive exponent. 102 = 100 10-2 = 1/100


Do negative exponent not mean to make the base number negative?

No, there is a big difference between 2^(-4) and (-2)^4 The first is 1/16 and the second is 16. A negative exponent is the reciprocal of a positive exponent. a^b is going to be 1/ (a^(-b)), Similarly, (a^b)*(a^(-b))=1 for two reasons. First multiplying reciprocals cancels them out. Second, when you multiply the same base you add the exponents, so (a^b)*(a^(-b)) = a^0 which equals 1◄


What does power in math mean?

What a number is raised to. Three (the base) to the third power = 33 = 3*3*3 The power or the exponent tells us how many times the base takes place in a repeated multiplication.


What does exponential mean?

Numbers that are raised to an exponent either increase or decrease at an extremely fast rate.


What does base to the power of 2 mean?

It means that there is a power, some number is the base, and 2 is the exponent.


What are negative intergery exponents?

I assume you mean "negative integer exponents".It means that: * It is an exponent * It is an integer (whole number) * It is negative (less than zero, i.e., with a minus sign) A negative exponent is defined as the reciprocal of the positive exponent. For example, 10 to the power -5 is the same as 1 / (10 to the power 5).


Meaning of Base in Math?

It could mean the base of a number system, such as decimal is base-10, or binary is base-2, or hexidecimal is base-16. Or it can refer to when a number has an exponent, like 23, 2 is the base, and 3 is the exponent. Or ex, where e represents the base of the natural logarithm. Here is another word 'base'. This is related to the base/exponent meaning.Another meaning for base is in solid geometry, such as a cylinder has a base (the circle part).


What does a negative exponent mean?

"Dose" is a measured portion of a medicine. I am not aware of any exponents that have anything to do with measured quantities of medication! A negative exponent is simply the reciprocal of the corresponding positive exponent. Thus x^(-a) = (1/x)^a for non-zero x.


What is 0.1 as a negative exponent?

0.1 = 10^-1


What does it mean to have a positive exponent?

An exponent tells how many times the base is used as a factor. 10^3 = 10 x 10 x 10