3 to the Negative 2 Power in Expanded Form
In mathematics, when we raise a number to a negative power, it can be a bit tricky to understand. But don't worry, we're here to break it down for you. In this article, we'll explore what 3 to the negative 2 power looks like in expanded form.
What is 3 to the Negative 2 Power?
Before we dive into the expanded form, let's quickly review what 3 to the negative 2 power means. When we write 3^-2, it's equivalent to saying "3 to the power of -2". This means we need to raise 3 to the power of -2.
Expanded Form
Now, let's convert 3^-2 to its expanded form. To do this, we need to recall the rule of negative exponents:
a^(-n) = 1 / a^n
In our case, a = 3 and n = 2. So, we can write:
3^(-2) = 1 / 3^2
Expanding the numerator and denominator, we get:
3^(-2) = 1 / (3 × 3)
3^(-2) = 1 / 9
And that's it! The expanded form of 3 to the negative 2 power is 1/9.
Conclusion
In this article, we've seen how to convert 3 to the negative 2 power to its expanded form. Remember, when dealing with negative exponents, we can use the rule a^(-n) = 1 / a^n to simplify the expression. Now, go ahead and practice with different values to become a master of exponentiation!
