could someone help me with math?

Question

Simplify this expression. If the answer contains exponents, all exponents should be positive.

(w^7)^4/(w^4)^3

Answer 1

Look at the numerator; it's a 'POWER OF A POWER'; it simplifies to w^28 because the exponents multiply together to get a single exponent.

 

Look at the denominator; it's also a power of a power, namely w^12.

 

You now have w^a divided by w^b (with a = 28, b = 12); A LAW OF EXPONENTS says that this will be w^(a-b).

 

Therefore the answer is w^(28-12) or w^16.

 

You are being taught the Laws of Exponents (or perhaps your environment calls them Properties of Exponents).

IT'S NECESSARY TO KNOW THESE AND HOW TO APPLY THEM.  You should not have to send in every problems involving exponents to a website--you must LEARN AND STAND ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET.

Answer 2

Jay, you seem to be getting a lot of "help" with math; are you learning how to solve these problems?

 

Exponents simply mean multiplied by itself that many times.  A negative exponent means the value is the reciprocal.  What does an exponent of 0 mean??

 

So, this problem is:

  (w^7)^4 / (w^4)^3

(w^7)(w^7)(w^7)(w^7) / (w^4)(w^4)(w^4)

(wwwwwww)(wwwwwww)(wwwwwww)(wwwwwww) / (wwww)(wwww)(wwww)

 

(www)(www)(www)(wwwwwww)

(w^3)(w^3)w^3)(w^7)

w^16

 

This is why:

      (w^7)^4 / (w^4)^3

is     w^28 / w^12

is     w^16                       [note:  28-12 = 16]