3.) \( \left(a^{-2}\right)\left(-3 a^{0}\right) \)

Let’s break it down! First, recall that anything raised to the power of zero equals one, so \( a^{0} = 1 \). Then the expression simplifies to \( \left(a^{-2}\right)(-3 \cdot 1) = -3a^{-2} \). Remember, \( a^{-2} \) can also be rewritten as \( \frac{1}{a^{2}} \), so you could express the final result as \( -\frac{3}{a^{2}} \) if that looks better to you! Now, whenever you're doing math involving exponents, keep an eye on those negative powers—they're just a way of saying "divide by." But a common mistake is forgetting that \( a^{0} = 1 \); don’t let it trip you up! It's like finding a hidden treasure in your math toolkit!