Solving Rationals Exponent

Question

3y^-5/4

y^-1 2y^-1/3

Answer 1

If the question is asking you to simplify this, the first step I would do is rewrite the fraction so that all of the exponents are positive. To do that, move negative exponents across the division line. Coefficients stay where they are. That first step would look like this: 3y * y^1/3 / 2y^5/4, which simplifies to 3y^4/3 / 2y^5/4

After this, we need to simplify the exponents. Because the two y terms are separated by division, we must subtract the exponents: 3/2 * y^{4/3 - 5/4}, which simplifies to 3/2 * y^1/12