## anonymous 5 years ago sorry... i know this is a lame question but... to write an expression as a positive exponent should i just change the negative exponent to a positive one? for example.. 7^-2 would just be 7^2 right?

1. anonymous

You would move it to the denominator to make the exponent positive: $a^{-n}=\frac{1}{a^n}\rightarrow 7^{-2}=\frac{1}{7^2}$

2. anonymous

Oh okay so basically you just put it under 1 with the positive exponent?

3. anonymous

You would move it to the denominator to make the exponent positive: $a^{-n}=\frac{1}{a^n}\rightarrow 7^{-2}=\frac{1}{7^2}$

4. anonymous

yeah but sometime you end up with a reversed scenario such as: $\frac{1}{5^{-3}}$ in this case you would move it to the numerator to make it positive $\frac{1}{5^{-3}}\rightarrow 5^3$

5. anonymous

ah cool thanks :D but i have another question XD... what if for example you have... ab^-2c or something like x^-2y^-3? i have similar problems further along but figured id ask now x]

6. anonymous

Is the first one $(ab)^{-2c}, or, ab^{-2c}$

7. anonymous

its $ab ^{-2}c$ and $x ^{-2}y ^{-3}$sorry forgot about the equation button

8. anonymous

in the case of $ab^{-2c}$ only b is raised to the negative exponent of -2c, so you would move b to the denominator$ab^{-2c}=\frac{a}{b^{2c}}$ in the case of $x^{-2}y^{-3}$ both x and y are raised to a negative exponent, so you would move both of them to the denominator$x^{-2}y^{-3}=\frac{1}{x^2y^3}$

9. anonymous

well the c isnt part of the b^-2 exponent its like b^-2 and c alone

10. anonymous

oh, sorry.... well then b will move to the denominator bc it carries a negative exponent$ab^{-2}c=\frac{ac}{b^2}$

11. anonymous

oh ok i get it now thanks for your help =]

12. anonymous

no problem