Question

How do you simplify `(-3)^-5`?

Answer 1

`-1/243`

Explanation:

`x^-a=1/x^a`

In other words, whenever a term is raised to a negative power, we can rewrite it as one over the same term raised to that power, but positive.

`(-3)^(-5)=1/(-3)^5=1/(-243)=-1/243`

A negative number raised to an odd power gives back a negative number.