How to Find the Inverse of a Given Number

Find the prime factorization of a number.
••• Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images

A number can have two inverses. One inverse is the additive inverse, which is the value that when added with the original number will equal zero. To find the additive inverse, just make the original value negative if it's positive or positive if it's negative. Another inverse of a number is the multiplicative inverse, or reciprocal. When a reciprocal is multiplied by the original number, the product is always 1.

    Write the number as the denominator of a fraction that has 1 as a numerator to find the reciprocal of an integer. For example, the reciprocal of 5 is 1/5.

    Place a decimal number as the denominator of a fraction with 1 as the numerator, then divide to calculate the reciprocal of a decimal. For example, the reciprocal of 0.5 is 1/0.5. Dividing 1 by 0.5 is the same as dividing 10 by 5, so 1/0.5 also equals 2.

    Reverse the placement of the numerator and denominator for the reciprocal of a fraction. For example, if the fraction is 3/4, reversing the positions results in 4/3.

    Multiply the exponent of a number by -1 to express the exponent as a reciprocal. For example, 4^3 becomes 4^-3 when the exponent is multiplied by -1. The expression 4^-3 in turn can be rewritten as 1/(4^3) and solved as 1/64.

Related Articles

How to Turn a Negative Denominator into a Positive
How to Divide Rational Numbers
Definition of Successor and Predecessor in Math
How to Cancel a Natural Log
How to Find the X Intercept of a Function
How to Reset a TI89
To Calculate Arcsine, What Buttons Do You Press on...
How to Find The Slope of a Line Given Two Points
What Are Radicals in Math?
How to Find the Slope of a Nonlinear Line
How to Get the Fraction Equivalent of a Whole Number
How to Convert Fractions to Exponential Notation
How to Factor Monomials
How to Calculate the Midpoint Between Two Numbers
How to Differentiate Negative Exponentials
How to Find a Z Score
How to Calculate Arctan
How to Convert Pounds Per Square Foot to PSI
How to Calculate the Percentage of Another Number
How to Find the Slope & the Equation of the Tangent...

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!