How do you simplify $2^-4$ ?

Question

2158 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2016-06-29T05:45:21

$2^(-4)=1/16$

As $a^m-:a^n=a^(m-n)$ , if $m=0$ ,

we have $a^0-:a^n=a^(0-n)$

or $1/a^n=a^(-n)$ i.e. $a^(-n)=1/a^n$

Hence, $2^(-4)=1/2^4=1/(2xx2xx2xx2)=1/16$

How do you simplify 2^-42^-4?