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Simplifying x5x^{-5} and 10310^{-3} Using the Negative Exponent Definition

Apply the definition of a negative exponent to simplify expressions with both algebraic variable bases and numerical bases.

x5=1x5x^{-5} = \frac{1}{x^5}: The base is the variable xx and the exponent is 5-5. Apply the rule an=1ana^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n}: rewrite the expression by taking the reciprocal of the base and making the exponent positive. This yields 1x5\frac{1}{x^5}. Because the base is a variable, this is the simplest form.

103=1103=1100010^{-3} = \frac{1}{10^3} = \frac{1}{1000}: The base is 1010 and the exponent is 3-3. Apply the same rule to rewrite 10310^{-3} as 1103\frac{1}{10^3}. Because the base is numerical, evaluate the resulting positive power: 103=100010^3 = 1000. The final simplified result is 11000\frac{1}{1000}.

In both cases, the procedure is identical: use the negative exponent definition to rewrite the term as a fraction with a positive exponent in the denominator. Note that a negative exponent does not make the result negative; rather, it indicates a reciprocal relationship.

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Updated 2026-05-26

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