Solution:
The expression $$ 5^{-3} $$ can be solved by applying the rule of negative exponents, which states that $$ a^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n} $$ for any non-zero base $$ a $$ and positive exponent $$ n $$.Therefore, in this case:$$ 5^{-3} = \frac{1}{5^3} $$Now, we can calculate $$ 5^3 $$:$$ 5^3 = 5 \times 5 \times 5 = 125 $$So the expression becomes:$$ 5^{-3} = \frac{1}{125} $$Hence, the solution is $$ \frac{1}{125} $$.