Please answer, negative exponent.

Kaseydog

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I'm a parent having a difference of opinion with a teacher. What is the reciprocal of 10-3?

This is how I worked it out:

According the rules of negative exponents, 10-3 =1/103 .

1/103 = 1/1000

The reciprocal of which is 1000, or 103 .

Therefore, the reciprocal of 10-3 is 103 , correct?
 
I'm a parent having a difference of opinion with a teacher. What is the reciprocal of 10-3?

This is how I worked it out:

According the rules of negative exponents, 10-3 =1/103 .

1/103 = 1/1000

The reciprocal of which is 1000, or 103 .

Therefore, the reciprocal of 10-3 is 103 , correct?
What is your answer? What is the teacher's answer? Thank you! ;)
 
I'm a parent having a difference of opinion with a teacher. What is the reciprocal of 10-3?
This is how I worked it out:
According the rules of negative exponents, 10-3 =1/103 .
1/103 = 1/1000
The reciprocal of which is 1000, or 103 .
Therefore, the reciprocal of 10-3 is 103 , correct?
The term reciprocal means multiplicative inverse.
What times \(\displaystyle 10^{-3}\) gives \(\displaystyle 1~?\) Well it is \(\displaystyle 10^{3}\).
So \(\displaystyle 10^{3}\) is the answer.
 
The term reciprocal means multiplicative inverse.
What times \(\displaystyle 10^{-3}\) gives \(\displaystyle 1~?\) Well it is \(\displaystyle 10^{3}\).
So \(\displaystyle 10^{3}\) is the answer.

Thank you. I don't want to start WWlll with this lady, but I know it's not right.
 
Correct answer

You're correct. The reciprocal of an exponent is the -1 * the exponent. So in the case of 10-3, the reciprocal is 103
 
I'm a parent having a difference of opinion with a teacher. What is the reciprocal of 10-3?

This is how I worked it out:

According the rules of negative exponents, 10-3 =1/103 .

1/103 = 1/1000

The reciprocal of which is 1000, or 103 .

Therefore, the reciprocal of 10-3 is 103 , correct?
You are correct and the teacher is wrong. Math teachers do not usually have a good command of the language they teach. They say take the reciprocal but they really are not doing that.

(anything) raised to the -1 power is the reciprocal of the (anything).

Now 1/10^(-3) =(1/10)^(-3)= [(1/10)^(-1)]^(3)= [10]^3=1000
 
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