What is the answer to this simplity question?

Question

Simplify (m^5)(m^-6)(m^3).

a: m^-90
b: m^2
c: m^-8
d: m^14

Answer 1

If you are multiplying and you have the same base, them all you do is add the exponents. So here, you have the same base m. Adding the exponents gives you 5 - 6 + 3 = 2, and your answer would be m^2.

If you forget that you can add the exponents, you can always write out the m's and start can celling them out. In this case, you'd have 5 m's in the numerator, 6 in the denominator (because of the -6), and another 3 in the numerator. Can celling these gives you 2 m's in the numerator, or m^2.