Answer
$-2^{4} = -16$
Work Step by Step
$-2^{4} \ne 16$
The mistake here is that my friend thinks it is $(-2)^{4}$, which will give positive $16$ as the answer:
$= (-2)^{4}$
$= (-2) \times (-2) \times (-2) \times (-2)$
$= 4 \times 4$
$= 16$
The correct answer is:
$= -2^{4}$
$= -(2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2)$
$= -(4 \times 2 \times 2)$
$= -(8 \times 2)$
$= -16$
