A few days ago
Lester D

A positive number raised to a negative power is what? 7-^2=?

is it between 1 and 0?

is it between -1 and 0?

or

is it greater than 1?

Top 3 Answers
A few days ago
John V

Favorite Answer

If x, the number, is positive and greater than 1, then x^-2 will be between 0 and 1. If x is positive but < 1, then x^-2 will be greater than 1. In your example, 7^-2 = 1/7^2 = 1/49. But (1/2)^-2 = 1/(1/2)^2 = 1/(1/4) = 4.
0

A few days ago
Big Jay
it is between 1 and 0…a positive number raised to a negative number is the same thing as 1 over that positive number raised to now a positive number…here’s your equation 7^-2 which is the same thing as 1/7^2when you put it as 1 over…then the negative goes away…so 1 /7^2 is between 1 and 0
0

A few days ago
?
Well, x^-n is the same as 1/x^n, so the number you give is the same as 1/7^2, or 1/49, so between 1 and 0.

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/exponent2.htm

–Bill Pardue

Arlington Heights Memorial Library http://www.ahml.info

Librarians–We eat questions for breakfast!

Find your local Library at http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/Public_main.html

0