Question

What do you do if the exponent is a negative number?

Answer 1

for instance: $3^{2}$ the base is 3 and the exponent is 2.

if the exponent is a negative number $3^{-2}$ then the answer would be positive 9. if the number is even but with a negative number your answer with turn out possitive.

or your exponent is a negative odd number like $3^{-3}$ the the answer would turn out negative : -27

you could see it for yourself by doing : -3 x -3 x -3 = -27