negative indices

How Do You Simplify Index Laws? Index laws are the rules for simplifying expressions involving powers of the same base number. = ( 3 √ 27)2 = (3)2 = 9. (2) Watch out for powers of negative numbers. For example, (−2)3 = −8 and (−2)4 = 16, so (−x)5 = −x5 and (−x)6 = x6.