Why does -2^6 equal -64 but -2 x -2 x -2 x -2 x -2 x -2 equal 64? (The x's are multiplication)

Is there any commas or anything

When rates are expressed as a quantity of 1, such as 2 feet per second or 5 miles per hour, they are called unit rates. if you have a multiple-unit rate such as 120 students for every 3 buses, and want to find the single-unit rate, write a ratio equal to the multiple-unit rate with 1 as the second term.

I'm not sure exactly but my best guess would be 1/4