Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Basic Math Placement Practice Test

What is the simplified form of (-6)^-1?

1. 1/-6

2. 1/6

3. -1/6

4. 6/-1

The correct answer is: -1/6

To simplify \((-6)^{-1}\), it's important to understand what a negative exponent represents. A negative exponent indicates the reciprocal of the base raised to the corresponding positive exponent. Therefore, \((-6)^{-1}\) means you take the reciprocal of \(-6\). Calculating this, we find that the reciprocal of \(-6\) is \( \frac{1}{-6} \). This can also be expressed as \(-\frac{1}{6}\). Thus, this matches the correct answer. When dealing with options in multiple-choice questions, recognizing the negative sign is crucial. The negative sign in the base influences the sign of the resulting fraction, leading to \(-\frac{1}{6}\) as the final simplified form.