Question

If the base is 4, what is the value if the exponent is 2? What if the exponent is -2?

Answer 1

Answer:

In the world of exponents, 4 is the number being raised by the exponent, which is 2.

Let's answer the first question:

If the base is 4, what is the value if the exponent is 2?

• The base is 4 and the exponent is 2.  We would multiply 4 two times.

$4^2= 4*4 = 16$

So, it would be 16.

Let's answer the second question:

What if the exponent is -2?

This is the rule for negative exponents:

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

Using this rule, we can solve $4^{-2}$.

$4^{-2}= \frac{1}{4^2}=\frac{1}{16}$

So, our answer for the 2nd question is 1/16.