How is x^-a expressed in a different form?

The expression ( x^{-a} ) can be rewritten using the properties of exponents, specifically the rule that states that a negative exponent indicates a reciprocal. According to this rule, ( x^{-a} ) is equivalent to ( \frac{1}{x^a} ).

This transformation makes intuitive sense: a negative exponent signifies that instead of multiplying by that base, you are dividing by it. Therefore, when an exponent is negative, you take the reciprocal of the base raised to the positive version of that exponent.

For example, if you have ( x^{-2} ), it means you are dividing 1 by ( x^2 ), which can be written as ( \frac{1}{x^2} ). This reasoning directly applies to any value ( a ), making ( x^{-a} ) equal to ( \frac{1}{x^a} ).

Other options do not reflect this property as clearly. ( x^a ), ( x^{-a} ), and ( \frac{1}{x^{-a}} ) do not represent the correct transformation associated with negative exponents. In summary, expressing ( x^{-a} ) as ( \frac{1