Question

How are negative exponents and positive exponents related?

Answer 1

You can make a negative exponent positive by switching its numerator with its denominator and vice versa.

Examples:

$x^{-2} = \frac{1}{x^2}$

$3x^{-2} = \frac{3}{x^2}$

$(3x)^{-2} = \frac{1}{(3x)^2}$

$\frac{1}{x^{-2}} = x^2$

$\frac{1}{3x^{-2}} = \frac{x^2}{3}$

$\frac{1}{(3x)^{-2}} = \frac{(3x)^2}{1} = (3x)^2$