I have put this thread together because so many people ask how to deal with negative indices and i have not noticed other internet sites that teach it well (although i am sure there are a lot, I just haven't found them.)
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$$16^{1/2}=\sqrt{16}=4\\\\
16^{-1/2}=\frac{16^{-1/2}}{1}=\frac{1}{1\times 16^{+1/2}}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{16}}=\frac{1}{4}$$
NOTE: The 1 that was on the bottom stayed on the bottom. I put the one on the top because there was nothing else there. when there is nothing else you put a one. does that make sense?
Whenever anything is raised to a negative power you swap it to the otherside of the fraction line and change the negative power to a positive power.
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.$$16^{1/2}=\sqrt{16}=4\\\\
16^{-1/2}=\frac{16^{-1/2}}{1}=\frac{1}{1\times 16^{+1/2}}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{16}}=\frac{1}{4}$$
NOTE: The 1 that was on the bottom stayed on the bottom. I put the one on the top because there was nothing else there. when there is nothing else you put a one. does that make sense?
Whenever anything is raised to a negative power you swap it to the otherside of the fraction line and change the negative power to a positive power.