simplify -cd^-4e^-1

please specify parentheses or at least separate them so i know which groups fall under which exponents.

To simplify the expression -cd^-4e^-1, let's break it down into separate groups for each exponent:

Group 1: -cd^(-4)
Group 2: e^(-1)

Now, let's simplify each group separately:

Group 1: -cd^(-4)
To simplify this group, we need to remember the rule that says when we have a negative exponent, we can rewrite it as the reciprocal of the base with the positive exponent. So, d^(-4) can be rewritten as 1/d^4. The expression now becomes: -c/d^4.

Group 2: e^(-1)
Again, using the rule for negative exponents, e^(-1) can be rewritten as 1/e^1, which simply becomes 1/e.

Overall, simplifying the expression -cd^-4e^-1 by breaking it down into separate groups and applying the exponent rules, we get: -c/d^4 * 1/e.