To find the value of 3 to the power of negative 2, we need to understand what a negative exponent means. A negative exponent indicates that we take the reciprocal of the base raised to the corresponding positive exponent.
So, 3 to the power of -2 can be rewritten as:
3-2 = 1 / 32
Next, we calculate 32: 3 * 3 = 9. Substituting this back, we get:
3-2 = 1 / 9
Therefore, the value of 3 to the power of -2 is 1/9.