you solved it wrong. Here's an example: A negative exponent indicates that a base number is raised to a power that is negative in value. This means that 2-3 can be read as "two to the negative third power." You can usually calculate a base number to an exponent on most calculators if they have a yx function key. (If you are unsure, now would be a good time to determine how to use that key on your calculator.) You may view a negative power as mathematical notation for repeated division using the reciprocal of the base number. 23=(1/2)(1/2)(1/2)=1/(222)=1/8=0.125 32=(1/3)(1/3)=1/(33)=1/9=0.111 Equivalent expressions for negative exponents: Negative exponents in powers can also be expressed as positive exponents in a fraction's denominator. Consider the following examples: 22 is also 1(2)2 Simplifying this gives 14=0.25 Similarly, 33 is also 1(3)3=127=0.037 Again, use your calculator if you need to for this. And, using x , x1=1x Since this is the same for variables on numbers, it would also be the same for units. This can become confusing. Consider the following equation written out in one line: x=(5molar)2(4molar)3 This equation can also be written as: x=(5molar)2(4molar)3 Simplifying this equation would give: x=25molar264molar3