t^9 x t^-8
I don't really understand how to do the whole negative exponent thing...
t^9+(-8)
= t^1
=t
To simplify the expression t^9 x t^-8, you need to remember the rule of multiplying variables with exponents: when you multiply variables with the same base, you add their exponents.
In this case, t^9 and t^-8 have the same base (t), so you can add their exponents to simplify the expression.
The concept of a negative exponent can be understood using the reciprocal property. When you have a negative exponent, it means you take the reciprocal (or flip) of the base with the positive exponent. So t^-8 is equivalent to 1/t^8.
Now, let's substitute these values back into the original expression:
t^9 x t^-8 = t^9 x 1/t^8
Now, since we are multiplying, we can add the exponents:
t^9 x 1/t^8 = t^(9+(-8)) = t^1
Finally, any number or variable raised to the power of 1 is equal to the number itself:
t^1 = t
Therefore, t^9 x t^-8 simplifies to just t.