In Exercises 59–72, simplify each expression using the products-to-powers rule.(-3x⁻²)⁻³
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Identify the expression: \((-3x^{-2})^{-3}\).
Apply the power of a power rule: \((a^m)^n = a^{m \cdot n}\).
Distribute the exponent \(-3\) to both \(-3\) and \(x^{-2}\).
Simplify \((-3)^{-3}\) and \((x^{-2})^{-3}\) separately.
Combine the results to express the simplified form.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Exponents and Powers
Exponents represent repeated multiplication of a base number. The power indicates how many times the base is multiplied by itself. Understanding the laws of exponents, such as the product of powers and power of a power, is essential for simplifying expressions involving exponents.
A negative exponent indicates the reciprocal of the base raised to the opposite positive exponent. For example, x⁻ⁿ = 1/xⁿ. This concept is crucial when simplifying expressions with negative exponents, as it allows for rewriting them in a more manageable form.
The products-to-powers rule states that when raising a product to a power, you can distribute the exponent to each factor in the product. For instance, (ab)ⁿ = aⁿbⁿ. This rule is vital for simplifying expressions like (-3x⁻²)⁻³, as it allows for the individual simplification of each component.