Catherine simplifies 6^a * 6^3/6^b to 6^(a-3+b)
Justin simplifies the same expression but gets 6^(a+3)-b
Who is correct?
To determine who is correct, we need to compare the simplified expressions obtained by Catherine and Justin.
Catherine's simplified expression: 6^(a-3+b)
Justin's simplified expression: 6^(a+3)-b
To compare these expressions, let's simplify Justin's expression:
6^(a+3)-b can be written as 6^a * 6^3 - b
Now, let's compare Catherine's expression with Justin's modified expression:
Catherine: 6^a * 6^3/6^b
Justin's modified: 6^a * 6^3 - b
From the comparison, we can see that Catherine's expression matches Justin's modified expression. Therefore, Catherine's simplified expression is correct:
Catherine: 6^(a-3+b)