The expression $(-3)^4$ means raising $-3$ to the power of 4.

To solve this:

$(-3)^4 = (-3) \times (-3) \times (-3) \times (-3)$

When you multiply negative numbers, remember that:

• An even number of negative factors results in a positive product.

In this case, we have four negative factors, so the result is positive:

$(-3) \times (-3) = 9$ $9 \times (-3) = -27$ $-27 \times (-3) = 81$

Thus:

$(-3)^4 = 81$

Would you like more details or have any questions about this? Here are some related questions:

1. What happens if we raise $-3$ to an odd power?
2. How would you compute $(-2)^5$?
3. How does the sign of a number change when raised to different powers?
4. Can negative numbers be raised to fractional powers?
5. How do exponents apply to expressions with variables?

Tip: When working with exponents, it's helpful to keep track of the signs and remember that even powers of negative numbers always yield positive results.