Question

Simplify 8^-2 by making the exponent positive.

A. 1/8
B. 1/8^2
C. 8^2
D. 64

Answer 1

So when you have any number or function raised to a negative exponent, that is similarly the inverse of that number or function. For example: x^-1 = 1/x. 2^-1 = 1/2.
Using this we can simply manipulate the 1 such that it carries. So. x^-2 = 1/(x^2), or 2^-2 = 1/(2^2).
I believe the answer is obvious enough now.