Negative exponents might sound tricky at first, but once you understand them, they’re actually quite interesting! Let’s break it down:

• What are Negative Exponents? A negative exponent, like $a^{-n}$, means you flip the number. So, $a^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n}$.

• How Do They Change Values? This flipping changes the value a lot! For example:

  • When we look at $2^{-3}$, it becomes $\frac{1}{2^3}$, which equals $\frac{1}{8}$. This is a really small number!

So, remember: negative exponents make the number smaller!