Calculate (-5)^(-3): Solving Negative Base with Negative Exponent

Question

(5)3=? (-5)^{-3}=\text{?}

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Solve
00:02 According to the laws of exponents, any number (A) to the power of (-N)
00:05 equals 1 divided by the number (A) to the power of (N)
00:08 Let's apply to the question, the formula works from number to fraction and vice versa
00:11 We got 1 divided by (-5) to the power of (3)
00:14 According to the laws of exponents, the number (A*B) to the power of (N)
00:17 equals (A) to the power of (N) multiplied by (B) to the power of (N)
00:20 Let's apply to the question
00:23 Let's break down (-5) into factors (-1) and (5)
00:30 We get (-1) to the power of 3 multiplied by (5) to the power of 3
00:36 Let's solve (-1) to the power of 3 according to the laws of exponents
00:44 *
00:51 Let's solve 5 to the power of 3 according to the laws of exponents
01:00 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

First let's recall the negative exponent rule:

bn=1bn b^{-n}=\frac{1}{b^n} We'll apply it to the expression we received:

(5)3=1(5)3 (-5)^{-3}=\frac{1}{(-5)^3} Next let's recall the power rule for expressions in parentheses:

(xy)n=xnyn (x\cdot y)^n=x^n\cdot y^n And we'll apply it to the denominator of the expression we received:

1(5)3=1(15)3=1(1)353=1153=153=1125 \frac{1}{(-5)^3}=\frac{1}{(-1\cdot5)^3}=\frac{1}{(-1)^3\cdot5^3}=\frac{1}{-1\cdot5^3}=-\frac{1}{5^3}=-\frac{1}{125} In the first step, we expressed the negative number inside the parentheses in the denominator as a multiplication between a positive number and negative one, and then we used the power rule for expressions in parentheses to expand the parentheses, and then we simplified the expression.

Let's summarize the solution to the problem:

(5)3=1(5)3=153=1125 (-5)^{-3}=\frac{1}{(-5)^3} =\frac{1}{-5^3}=-\frac{1}{125}

Therefore, the correct answer is answer B.

Answer

1125 -\frac{1}{125}