Confused on this one:
5x^3y^9/20x^2y^-2
I know your suppose to subtract the exponents, but I dont know what I do with 5 and 20.
2007-01-04 15:12:16 · 4 answers · asked by Ash 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
The answer is (x y^11)/4. That's because, with the original expression written more clearly as:
(5x^3y^9)/(20x^2y^-2)
[it's advisable to distinguish numerators and denominators by parentheses like this],
EVERYTHING in the NUMERATOR must be DIVIDED by EVERYTHING in the DENOMINATOR.
So, separately, 5/20 = 1/4, x^3/x^2 = x, and y^9/y^(-2) = y^11.
Then, gathering all these separate pieces together, the result is their product:
(x y^11)/4. QED.
Live long and prosper.
2007-01-04 15:14:32 · answer #1 · answered by Dr Spock 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(xy^11)/4
you divide 5/20, which is 1/4
2007-01-04 23:20:39 · answer #2 · answered by Becky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
reduce them, 1/4
2007-01-04 23:14:27 · answer #3 · answered by ice_purple969 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(5/20)*xy^11
=(1/4)xy^11
2007-01-04 23:22:17 · answer #4 · answered by raj 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋