Question

evaluate. write your answer as a fraction or whole number without exponents. 3^{-2} =

Explanation:

Step1: Apply negative - exponent rule

According to the rule $a^{-n}=\frac{1}{a^{n}}$, when $a = 3$ and $n = 2$, we have $3^{-2}=\frac{1}{3^{2}}$.

Step2: Calculate the denominator

$3^{2}=3\times3 = 9$. So, $\frac{1}{3^{2}}=\frac{1}{9}$.

Answer:

$\frac{1}{9}$