Question

How do you simplify `( -4x^-2y^-2)^2`?

Answer 1

`=color(red)(16 x^-4 y^-4`

Explanation:

`(-4^1x^-2y^-2)^color(red)(2`
Here `color(red)(2` needs to be multiplied with each term within the bracket:

`=-4^(1 . color(red)(2))x^(-2. color(red)(2)) . y^(-2. color(red)(2)`
`=-4^2. x^-4 . y^-4`
`=color(red)(16 x^-4 y^-4`