Laws of Exponents II: Simplify Expression

  • Thread starter reenmachine
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In summary, the expression given can be simplified to (-2^6 * c^5) / (7^18 * d) by removing the negative exponents and simplifying the terms.
  • #1
reenmachine
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Homework Statement



Simplify this expression and express the result with only positive exponants.

Homework Equations



The expression:

##\left( \frac {(-49^4 \ c^{-2} \ d)^3}{14^6 \ c^{-1} \ d^2} \right)^{-1}##

The Attempt at a Solution



##\left( \frac {(-49^4 \ c^{-2} \ d)^3}{14^6 \ c^{-1} \ d^2} \right)^{-1}##

##\left( \frac {(-(7^2)^4 \ c^{-2} \ d)^3}{(2 \cdot 7)^6 \ c^{-1} \ d^2} \right)^{-1}##

##\left( \frac {(- 7^8 \ c^{-2} \ d)^3}{2^6 \cdot 7^6 \ c^{-1} \ d^2} \right)^{-1}##

##\left( \frac {- 7^{24} \ c^{-6} \ d^3}{2^6 \cdot 7^6 \ c^{-1} \ d^2} \right)^{-1}##

##\left( \frac {- 7^{18} \ c^{-5} \ d}{2^6} \right)^{-1}##

##\left( \frac {- 7^{-18} \ c^5 \ d^{-1}}{2^{-6}} \right)##

##\left( \frac {- 2^6 \ c^5}{7^{18} \ d} \right)##

Is this correct?

Thank you!
 
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  • #2
Yes that seems correct.

I did it a bit differently though by going outside into eliminate the outermost -1 exponent:

(A/B)^-1 = B/A

and then I moved factors to the numerator or denominator to eliminate the - exponent then I simplified things

to get what you got.
 
  • #3
thank you!
 

1. What are the basic laws of exponents?

The basic laws of exponents are:
1. Product Law: am * an = am+n
2. Quotient Law: am / an = am-n
3. Power Law: (am)n = am*n
4. Negative Exponent Law: a-n = 1/an
5. Zero Exponent Law: a0 = 1 (for a ≠ 0)

2. How do I simplify an expression with exponents?

To simplify an expression with exponents, you can use the laws of exponents to combine like terms. Start by identifying the common base and then apply the corresponding law. If there are multiple terms with exponents, you can use the distributive property to simplify further.

3. How do I handle negative exponents when simplifying an expression?

To handle negative exponents, you can use the negative exponent law: a-n = 1/an. This means that you can move the base with the negative exponent to the denominator and change the exponent to a positive value.

4. Can I simplify an expression with different bases?

Yes, you can simplify an expression with different bases by first rewriting each base as a power of a common base. Then you can use the power law to combine the terms with the same base. If there are any remaining terms with different bases, you can leave them as is or use a calculator to evaluate them.

5. What is an example of simplifying an expression with exponents?

One example of simplifying an expression with exponents is:
2x3 * 3x2 / 6x2
Using the product law, we can combine the terms with the same base:
(2 * 3 * x3+2) / (6 * x2)
Simplifying further, we get:
(6x5) / (6x2)
Applying the quotient law, we get the final simplified expression:
x(5-2) = x3

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