FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

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Prepare for the FTCE General Knowledge Math Test with interactive quizzes and detailed explanations. This resource will enhance your math skills and boost your confidence before the exam. Conquer the test and excel in your teaching career!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

In the expression 2^-3, what does the negative exponent indicate?

To multiply by 2 three times
To divide by 2 three times
To add 2 three times
To raise 2 to the power of 3

The correct answer is: To divide by 2 three times

The expression 2^-3 involves a negative exponent. A negative exponent indicates the reciprocal of the base raised to the absolute value of that exponent. Therefore, 2^-3 can be rewritten as 1/(2^3). Calculating 2^3 results in 8, so 2^-3 equals 1/8. This demonstrates that a negative exponent indicates that instead of multiplying by the base, you are actually dividing by that base raised to a positive exponent, which in this case means dividing by 2 three times. This concept is crucial for understanding how powers and exponents work in mathematics, especially when dealing with expressions that contain negative exponents.