When you first see a ( − n ) ​(−n) ​​ , it looks a little crazy--how can you multiply a negative number of times? But if you think about it, it isn't actually that tough. What's the opposite of multiplication? Division! A negative exponent tells you to divide by the base a certain number of times, rather than multiplying. As we learned when we divided by fractions, multiplying a number by its reciprocal is the same thing as dividing. So when you see a ( − n ) ​(−n) ​​ , just remember that it's the same thing as 1 ⁄ (a n ​n ​​ ). 4 ( − 3 ) ​(−3) ​​ = A 1/(4 3 ​3 ​​ ) B -(4 3 ​3 ​​ ) C -1/(4 − 3 ​−3 ​​ ) D 1/(4 − 3 ) ​−3 ​​ ) BACK