The expression $10^{-5}$ means "10 raised to the power of -5." A negative exponent represents the reciprocal of the base raised to the corresponding positive exponent.

So, $10^{-5}$ can be rewritten as:

$10^{-5} = \frac{1}{10^5} = \frac{1}{100000} = 0.00001$

Thus, $10^{-5} = 0.00001$.

Would you like further explanation or any details on this? Here are 5 related questions to explore this topic further:

1. What is the value of $10^{-6}$?
2. How do you multiply numbers with exponents, like $10^3 \times 10^{-2}$?
3. How does the exponent rule apply to fractions like $\left( \frac{1}{2} \right)^{-3}$?
4. What happens when a number with a negative exponent is squared, such as $(10^{-5})^2$?
5. Can you explain the difference between positive and negative exponents?

Tip: Negative exponents flip the base to the reciprocal and apply the positive exponent.