BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Fraction raised to a negative exponent

Problem Solving — algebra and arithmetic (GMAT Focus Edition)
Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Source: — Quantitative Reasoning |
Legendary Member
Posts: 610
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:33 amFollowed by: 2 members
Thanked: 47 times

by kstv » Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:34 am
take 1/5 = x
x ^ -2 = 1/x² = 25
any method should give u this result.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2095
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pmFollowed by: 247 members
Thanked: 1443 times

by ceilidh.erickson » Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:42 pm
Lookingfor700GMAT wrote:Is (1/5) ^ -2 = 25? Is it correct to flip the fraction (1/5 becomes 5) then square 5 =25?
Yes, "flipping the fraction" is the same as taking the reciprocal. The reciprocal of 1/5 is 5, so (1/5)^(-2) = 5^2.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pmFollowed by: 1268 members
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:36 pm
in general, (x/y)^(-n) = (y/x)^n
So, for example, (2/3)^(-5) = (3/2)^5

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2630
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pmFollowed by: 119 members
Location: East Bay all the way
Thanked: 625 times
GMAT Score:780

by Matt@VeritasPrep » Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:05 pm
You are correct! (1/x)�² = x²
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2630
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pmFollowed by: 119 members
Location: East Bay all the way
Thanked: 625 times
GMAT Score:780

by Matt@VeritasPrep » Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:05 pm
We could prove that easily enough too!

(1/x)�² = x²

is the same as

1 = x�² * x²

is the same as

1 = x�

which is true!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:50 amFollowed by: 4 members
Location: London, UK
Thanked: 2 times
GMAT Score:770

by mbawisdom » Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:22 am
Lookingfor700GMAT wrote:Is (1/5) ^ -2 = 25? Is it correct to flip the fraction (1/5 becomes 5) then square 5 =25?
Yes, you can do that. Another way to think about it is treat 1/5 as 5^-1.

(1/5)^-2
(5^-1)^-2
5^(-1*-2)
5^2
25
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1