Question

what is 10^-2?

10 to the power of negative 2

Answer 1

No. You moved the decimal three places. It should be moved two places so the answer is .01 but I like to place a zero BEFORE the decimal point so that it is obvious that the number is 0.01. Sometimes the decimal point doesn't show up well in small print but the zero there before makes us aware that the decimal point is there.

Answer 2

ok i see.

im still not sure exactly how u figured out the answer.is there another way to explain?

Answer 3

a^(-n) = 1/(a^(+n)), one of the basic rules of exponents.

so 10^-2
=1/10^2
= 1/100
= .01

Answer 4

10^-2 is the same as 1. x 10^-2. The exponent tells you how many places to move the decimal. In this case the exponent is 2; therefore, the decimal is moved 2 places. The minus sign tells you to move it to the left (a plus sign or no sign at all which we understand to be a + tells us to move the decimal point to the right.) So 1. x 10^-2 means we move the decimal point to the left. If we move it to the left 1 place we have .1. If we move it two places we have .01. Then I put a zero in front of that (it isn't necessary but most people do it) to make sure the reader knows that is a decimal point and not a period at the end of a sentence. And the number becomes 0.01.<~~(that . is a period at the end of a sentence. I hope that isn't confusing.)

Answer 5

much better!!!! i think i get it now!

Answer 6

10^-2 = 1 x 10^-2. Copy the 1 which has the decimal after it as 1., then move the decimal two places to the left. 0.01 = 1 x 10^-2.

Answer 7

so that means 10^-2 is 0.001?