http://passyworldofmathematics.

com/zero-and-negative-exponents/

Power of Zero Exponent

We can work out the number value for the Power of Zero exponent, by
working out a simple exponent Division the Long Way, and the Subtract
Powers Rule way.

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It can be seen from the above calculations that 2 to the power of zero equals
1.

We can also work out the numerical value of the Index Power of Zero, using
patterns of Powers, as shown in the following diagram.

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From the work we have just done here, we can be quite certain that 2 to the
power of zero equals 1. In fact ANY number or letter variable to the power of
zero always equals 1.

Power of Zero Examples

No matter whether the value is a fraction, a really big number, or a
variable letter, the answer is always 1 when this value is raised to
the Power of Zero.
However, we need to be careful about exactly which part of a multi-item
expression the Power of Zero actually applies to.
This is shown in the examples below.

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Negative Exponents
Negative Exponents are associated with Fractions.
We can prove this by working out a simple exponent Division the Long
Way, and the Subtract Powers Rule way.

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Like we did with the Power of Zero Exponent, we can also do the Negative
Exponent proof using Exponent Patterns.

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Negative Exponent Rule

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When we have a negative exponent on an item, we move it down to the

bottom of the fraction, where it it then becomes a positive exponent power.

Negative Exponents Examples

Shown below are some simple, and then some more complicated examples
of how we simplify Negative Exponents by creating Fractions that have all of
their exponent powers positive.
An expression is not fully simplified until all of its Negative Powers
have been converted into Fraction Positive Powers.

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The last two examples in the above table are a little more involved than the
1/ fraction types.
We need to look at the full story on negative exponents and reciprocals.
The Reciprocal of a Number is the 1/ fraction of that number.
The Reciprocal of a Letter variable is the 1/ fraction of that letter variable.
The Reciprocal of a Fraction is the fraction flipped over so it is upside down
eg. 2/3 becomes 3/2.

Negative Exponents The Full Story

The complete approach to dealing with all Negative Exponents is as follows:

http://www.sparknotes.com/math/algebra2/exponentialfunctions/section1.rhtml

Fractional Exponents
In a fractional exponent, the numerator is the power to which the number should
be taken and the denominator is the root which should be taken. For
example, 125
means "take 125 to the fourth power and take the cube root

of the result" or "take the cube root of 125 and then take the result to the fourth
power." Order does not matter when evaluating exponents--it is usually easier to
take the root first, and then take the power.
Since we cannot take the even root of a negative number, we cannot take a
negative number to a fractional power if the denominator of the exponent is even.

A negative fractional exponent works just like an ordinary negative exponent.

First, we switch the numerator and the denominator of the base number, and
then we apply the positive exponent.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/exponent-fractional.html

Fractional Exponents
Also called "Radicals" or "Rational Exponents"

Whole Number Exponents

First, let us look at whole number exponents :

The exponent of a number says how many times to use

the number in a multiplication.
In this example: 82 = 8 8 = 64

In words: 82 could be called "8 to the

second power", "8 to the power 2" or simply
"8 squared"

Another example: 53 =5 5 5 = 125

Fractional Exponents
But what if the exponent is a fraction?

An exponent of 1/2 is actually square root

And an exponent of 1/3 is cube root
An exponent of 1/4 is 4th root
And so on!

Why?
Let's see why in an example.
First, the Laws of Exponents tell us how to handle exponents when we
multiply:
Example: x2x2 = (xx)(xx) = xxxx = x4

Which shows that x2x2 = x(2+2) = x4

So let us try that with fractional exponents:
Example: What is 9 9 ?

9 9 = 9(+) = 9(1) = 9
So 9 times itself gives 9.
What do we call a number that, when multiplied by itself, gives another
number? The square root !
See:

9 9 = 9
And:

9 9 = 9
So 9 is the same as 9

Try Another Fraction

Let us try that again, but with an exponent of one-quarter (1/4):
Example: x

x x x x = x(+++) = x(1) = x
So x, when used 4 times in a multiplication gives x, and so x is the 4th root
of x.

General Rule
It worked for , it worked with , in fact it works generally:

x1/n = The n-th Root of x

So we can come up with this:
A fractional exponent like 1/n means to take the nth root:

Example: What is 271/3 ?

Answer: 271/3 =

27 = 3

What About More Complicated Fractions?

What about a fractional exponent like

43/2 ?

That is really saying to do a cube (3) and a square root (1/2), in any order.
Let me explain.
A fraction (like m/n) can be broken into two parts:

a whole number part (m) , and

a fraction (1/n) part

So, because m/n = m (1/n) we can do this:

The order does not matter, so it also works for m/n = (1/n) m:

And we get this:

A fractional exponent like m/n means:

Do the m-th power, then take the n-th root
OR Take the n-th root and then do the m-th power

Some examples:

Example: What is 43/2 ?

43/2 = 43(1/2) = (43) = (444) = (64) = 8

or

43/2 = 4(1/2)3 = (4)3 = (2)3 = 8

Either way gets the same result.
Example: What is 274/3 ?

274/3 = 274(1/3) =

(274) =

(531441) = 81

or

274/3 = 27(1/3)4 = ( 27)4 = (3)4 = 81