is y= 1/4 x^0.5 a power function? explain your reasoning

No, y = 1/4 x^0.5 is not a power function. A power function is in the form y = ax^n, where a and n are constants. In this case, the exponent of x is 0.5, which is not a whole number. Power functions have whole number exponents, so this function does not fit the definition of a power function. This function is actually a square root function, as the exponent of x is the square root of x.

use simpler terms

Sure! A power function has an exponent that is a whole number. In this case, the exponent of x is 0.5, which is not a whole number. Therefore, y = 1/4 x^0.5 is not a power function.