Calculate 2^(-5): Solving Negative Exponent Expression

Think of it as division by repeated multiplication. When you have $2^{-5}$, you're dividing by $2^5$, which gives you $\frac{1}{2^5}$!

Yes, if the base is positive! Since $2^{-5} = \frac{1}{2^5}$, and $2^5$ is positive, the fraction $\frac{1}{32}$ is positive too.

Not always! Leaving it as $\frac{1}{2^5}$ is perfectly acceptable. But if you want the decimal, $2^5 = 32$, so the answer is $\frac{1}{32} = 0.03125$.

Huge difference! $2^{-5} = \frac{1}{32}$ (positive fraction), but $-2^5 = -32$ (negative whole number). The negative sign's position matters!

Think "flip it!" A negative exponent means flip the base to the denominator and make the exponent positive: $a^{-n}$ becomes $\frac{1}{a^n}$.