How do you simplify (-4/5)^2?

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1 Answer
Nov 18, 2016

The simplified answer is 16/25

Explanation:

(- 4/5)^2 can be rewritten as (- 4/5) * (- 4/5) because an exponent of 2 indicates the base (- 4/5) is multiplied by itself twice.

A negative number multiplied by a negative number is positive.

Multiply the numerators straight across, then multiply the denominators straight across.

(- 4/5) * (- 4/5) = (4*4)/(5*5)=16/25