Answer :
To simplify a negative, simply take the reciprocal of the number. From there, the exponent becomes a positive and you can simplify it.
[tex]8^-^2 \\ \\ \frac{1}{8^2} \\ \\ \frac{1}{64} [/tex]
[tex]8^-^2 \\ \\ \frac{1}{8^2} \\ \\ \frac{1}{64} [/tex]
