%5E-3-simplified.jpeg "(-3)^-3 Simplified")
Simplifying (-3)^-3
The expression (-3)^-3 might seem confusing at first, but it's actually quite straightforward to simplify. Let's break it down step by step.
Understanding Negative Exponents
A negative exponent indicates the reciprocal of the base raised to the positive value of the exponent. In other words, x^-n = 1/x^n.
Applying the Rule
In our case, we have (-3)^-3. Applying the rule for negative exponents, we get:
(-3)^-3 = 1/(-3)^3
Evaluating the Expression
Now we need to calculate (-3)^3, which means multiplying -3 by itself three times:
(-3)^3 = (-3) * (-3) * (-3) = -27
Final Result
Putting it all together, we get:
(-3)^-3 = 1/(-3)^3 = 1/-27 = -1/27
Therefore, the simplified form of (-3)^-3 is -1/27.