Evaluate the Expression: Finding the Value of 8^(-2x)

Question

82x=? 8^{-2x}=\text{?}

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:01 Simplify the expression
00:03 According to the laws of exponents, any number(A) to the power of(N)
00:06 equals 1 divided by the number(A) to the power of(-N)
00:09 Let's apply it to the question
00:12 The number(8) will become 1 divided by(8)
00:15 And the power(-2X) will become -(-2X)
00:18 Negative times negative becomes positive, so the power is 2X
00:22 According to the laws of exponents, raising any number(A) to the power of(M) to the power of(N)
00:24 equals the number(A) to the power of(M multiplied by N)
00:27 Let's apply it to the question
00:31 Let's break down the power(2X) into factors
00:35 We get the number(8) to the power of(2) to the power of(X)
00:40 Let's solve 8 squared
00:44 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

Let's use the law of exponents for negative exponents:

an=1an a^{-n}=\frac{1}{a^n} and apply it to our problem:

82x=182x 8^{-2x}=\frac{1}{8^{2x}} Next, we'll use the law of exponents for power of a power:

(am)n=amn (a^m)^n=a^{m\cdot n} and apply this law to the denominator in the expression we got:

182x=1(82)x=164x \frac{1}{8^{2x}}=\frac{1}{(8^2)^x}=\frac{1}{64^x} where we actually used the above law in the opposite direction, meaning instead of expanding the parentheses and multiplying by the power exponent, we interpreted the multiplication by the power exponent as a power of a power, and in the final stage we calculated the power inside the parentheses in the denominator.

Let's summarize the solution steps, we got that:

82x=182x=164x 8^{-2x}= \frac{1}{8^{2x}}=\frac{1}{64^x}

Therefore, the correct answer is answer D.

Answer

164x \frac{1}{64^x}