Homework Help: Math

Posted by Dania on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 12:14pm.

I posted these 2 questions a couple of days ago and although the help I received would have been more appreciated if it didn't come with an underhanded comment, I did see where I made my mistake with the first question, however I would like to know with the second question, how the tutor came up with the answer w^4? What do we do with a positive exponent in the denominator when we bring the negative numerator down to the denominator?

Please see previous question:

Hello, I have two more rational exponent question that I wanted to verify please:

4x^3y^-2
_________
2x^-1y^4

= 2x^4y^6

is this correct?

2nd question:

[w^1 / w^-3]

my answer:

= [w^(1)(-4)/ w ^ (-3)(-4)]
= w^-4 / w^12
= w^12 / w^4
= w^3 / w

Is this right?

Math - drwls, Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 2:41pm
Both are wrong. You seem to have no idea at all how to handle exponents.

The answers are
2x^4 y^-6 and w^4.

Math - Henry, Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 10:48pm
1.

4x^3y^-2 / 2x^-1y^4 = 2x^3x^1 / y^4y^2=
2x^4 / y^6.

2. W^1 / W^-3 = W^1W^3 = W^4.

RULES:

1. NEVER leave neg. exponents in your
final answer.

2. When multiplying, always add the
exponents.

3. When dividing, subtract the expon.
in the denominator from the exponent in
the numerator and put the results in
the numerator. If the results is neg.,
move it to the denominator as a positive.

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