can someone explian to me the basics of converting negative exponent

Try looking through this

http://web2.0calc.com/questions/indices-especially-negative-indices

If you have a negative exponent in the numerator, write it in the denominator with a positive exponent.

Example:   x^-7  =  1 / x^7

Example:  3x^-4 / 14  =  3 / (14x^4)

Example:  3x^-2y^5z^-4  =  3y^5 / (x^2z^4)

If you have a negative exponent in the denominator, write it in the numerator with a positive exponent.

Example:  1 / x^-8  =  x^8

Example:  3x^3 / 2y^-6  =  3x^3Y^6 / 2

Example:  4x^5y^-2Z^-5 / (3x^-3Y^6z^-3)  =  4x^5x^3z^3 / (3y^2y^6z^5)  =  4x^8 / (3y^8z^2)