What is the value of 3 raised to the power of negative 2?

To solve the expression 3 raised to the power of negative 2, we start by understanding what a negative exponent means. In mathematical terms, raising a number to a negative exponent is equivalent to taking the reciprocal of that number raised to the corresponding positive exponent. So, we can rewrite 3^-2 as:

3^-2 = 1 / (3²)

Now, we calculate 3²:

3² = 3 × 3 = 9

Next, substituting this value back into the equation gives us:

1 / (3²) = 1 / 9

Therefore, the value of 3^-2 is:

3^-2 = 1 / 9

In summary, when you raise 3 to the power of negative 2, the result is 1/9.