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Exponents and rootsArithmeticMiddle schoolabout 0:39

Evaluate 16^(-1/2): animated lesson

A narrated, step-by-step exponents and roots video lesson with captions. Final answer: 1/4 ≈ 0.25.

SpeedLanguage

Video with a synthetic English voice and captions. Pick another language for subtitles in that language, or open the interactive version.

Video narrated by a synthetic voice (Piper TTS, en_US-ljspeech-high voice (LJ Speech dataset, public domain)); the steps come from our maths engine and the answer was checked independently. Download MP4 (0.2 MB) · Captions (WebVTT)

Steps on screen

1. The problem
Worked example
${16}^{\frac{-1}{2}}$
2. Step by step
1. ${16}^{\frac{-1}{2}}$
  Read the expression
2. ${16}^{\frac{-1}{2}} = \frac{1}{4}$
  Simplify exactly
3. ${16}^{\frac{-1}{2}} = \frac{1}{4} \approx 0.25$
  Evaluate using the order of operations (parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, addition and subtraction)
3. The answer
$\frac{1}{4} \approx 0.25$
16^(-1/2) = 1/4 ≈ 0.25
4. Check
- Decimal value: 0.25

Transcript

The problem. Here is the problem: 16 to the power negative 1 over 2). Evaluate a numerical expression.

Step by step. Read the expression. Simplify exactly. Evaluate using the order of operations (parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, addition and subtraction).

The answer. So the answer is 1 over 4 approximately 0.25. Operations are applied in the standard order: parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.

Check. Decimal value: 0.25.

About exponents and roots

Evaluate powers, square roots and cube roots, and apply the laws of exponents.

Evaluate 16^(-1/2): Exponents and roots Step-by-Step Lesson