Solve the Expression: Finding 7^1 - 7^2

Solve the following exercise and circle the correct answer:

$7^1-7^2=$

To solve the expression $7^1 - 7^2$, we need to evaluate the powers first before performing the subtraction. The steps are as follows:

• Calculate $7^1$: Since any number to the power of 1 is the number itself, we have $7^1 = 7$.
• Calculate $7^2$: This means 7 is multiplied by itself, which gives us $7 \times 7 = 49$.
• Subtract the results: Now, perform the subtraction $7 - 49$.
• This yields: $7 - 49 = -42$.

Thus, the correct answer is $-42$.