How do you rewrite an expression with a negative exponent?

How do you rewrite an expression with a negative exponent?

The negative exponent tells us to re-write the expression by taking the reciprocal of the base and then changing the sign of the exponent. Any expression that has negative exponents is not considered to be in simplest form.

What if the exponent is negative?

A negative exponent just means that the base is on the wrong side of the fraction line, so you need to flip the base to the other side. For instance, “x−2” (pronounced as “ecks to the minus two”) just means “x2, but underneath, as in 1 x 2 \frac{1}{x^2} x21 “.

How do you rewrite an expression with exponents?

To rewrite the expression with positive exponents, you must move the terms with negative exponents from the numerator to the denominator or from the denominator to the numerator, depending on where the terms are located.

What is the formula for negative exponents?

The law of negative exponents states that, when a number is raised to a negative exponent, we divide 1 by the base raised to a positive exponent. The general formula of this rule is: a -m = 1/a m and (a/b) -n = (b/a) n. Below are examples of how negative exponent rule works: 2 -3= 1/2 3 = 1/ (2 x 2 x 2) = 1/8 = 0.125.

Can you have a negative exponent in a polynomial?

A polynomial cannot have a variable in the denominator or a negative exponent, since monomials must have only whole number exponents. Polynomials are generally written so that the powers of one variable are in descending order.

What does a negative 1 exponent mean?

Dividing! Dividing is the inverse (opposite) of Multiplying. A negative exponent means how many times to divide by the number. Example: 8-1 = 1 ÷ 8 = 1/8 = 0.125.

How do you rewrite a negative exponent with a positive exponent?

Negative exponent rule: To change a negative exponent to a positive one, flip it into a reciprocal.

Can a variable have a negative exponent?

If the base is negative and the exponent is an even number, the final product will always be a positive number. If the base is negative and the exponent is an odd number, the final product will always be a negative number.

How do you determine if an expression is a polynomial?

All the exponents in the algebraic expression must be non-negative integers in order for the algebraic expression to be a polynomial. As a general rule of thumb if an algebraic expression has a radical in it then it isn’t a polynomial.

How to write an expression with only positive or negative exponents?

We will use the definition of a negative exponent and other properties of exponents to write an expression with only positive exponents. 1. Use the definition of a negative exponent, a−n = 1 an a − n = 1 a n. Simplify. 2. Use the definition of a negative exponent, a−n = 1 an a − n = 1 a n. Simplify. Simplify the following expression.

How do you divide by a negative exponent?

A negative exponent means that the thing is “under the dividing bar”. And then use the rule of “dividing by a ratio is multiplying by its inverse” We could say that every time we change x ‘s from above the bar to below, or the other way around, we change the sign. So 1 x = 1 x+1 = x−1 1 = x−1 and vice versa.

How do you simplify products and quotients with negative exponents?

Use the properties of exponents to simplify products and quotients that contain negative exponents and variables All the exponent properties we developed earlier in this chapter with whole number exponents apply to integer exponents, too.

What is the quotient property of exponents?

The Quotient Property of Exponents, introduced in Divide Monomials, had two forms depending on whether the exponent in the numerator or denominator was larger. What if we just subtract exponents, regardless of which is larger?