Question

Simplify the expression.
1/4^-4

A. 256
B. 16
C. - 1/16
D. - 1/256

Answer 1

When you have a negative exponent in the denominator, you can change it to a positive exponent by switching the term from the denominator up to the numerator...

so 1/(4^-4) would become (4^4) / 1

Answer 2

\[\frac{ 1 }{ 4^{-4} } = \frac{ 4^{4} }{ 1 }\]

Answer 3

In the same way, if you just had something like 5^-2, it is the same as 1/(5^2) You can make the negative exponent into a positive by moving the term to the denominator.
\[5^{-2} = \frac{ 1 }{ 5^{2} }\]