What is negative a superscript negative 2 baseline if a equals negative 5 question mark
(1 point)
Responses
-25
-25
25
25
negative start fraction 1 over 25 end fraction
Image with alt text: negative start fraction 1 over 25 end fraction
Start Fraction 1 over 25 End Fraction
To calculate the value of the expression when a equals -5, we substitute -5 for a in the expression.
The expression is (-5)^-2.
When we raise a negative number to a negative exponent, it means we take the reciprocal of the number and then raise it to the positive exponent.
So, (-5)^-2 is equivalent to 1/(-5)^2.
Simplifying further, (-5)^2 equals 25, so 1/(-5)^2 is equal to 1/25.
Therefore, the answer is negative start fraction 1 over 25 end fraction.