How do you simplify #-5^-3#?

1 Answer
Apr 15, 2016

#-0.008#

Explanation:

#color(blue)(-5^-3#

Use the rule of exponents

#color(brown)(x^-y=1/x^y#

If you don't know what an exponents means

See this

#color(brown)(x^y=underbrace(x*x*x*x*x..)_("y times")#

Now start to simplify

#rarr5^-3=1/-5^3#

#rarr1/((-5)(-5)(-5))#

If you want to know how to multiply numbers with different signs

Watch

#rarr1/-125#

#color(green)(rArr-0.008#