ACT Math : How to divide exponents

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #2252 : Act Math

Simplify the following

.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Start by remembering that you "flip" negative exponents over the division bar, thus moving from the top to the bottom and vice-versa. (There are other ways to do this as well, though most students understand this way most easily.)

Next, you just eliminate common factors and combine on the numerator. First combine the s:

Cancel out the numeric coefficient:

Now eliminate s and s:

 

Example Question #11 : How To Divide Exponents

If , what is ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Using the properties of exponents, we can raise both sides to a reciprocal of the exponent of to find the value we need. Specifically...

Example Question #11 : How To Divide Exponents

Simplify:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

When exponents with the same base are being divided, you may substract the exponent in the denominator from the exponent in the numerator to create a new exponent. In this case, you would subtract  from , yielding  as the new exponent. Keeping the same base, the answer becomes .

Example Question #12 : How To Divide Exponents

What is the simplified form for the following expression?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Break up by variable.

Therefore the simplified form becomes,

.

Example Question #771 : Algebra

can be written as which of the following?

A. 

B.

C.

Possible Answers:

B and C

C only

A, B and C

A and C

B only

Correct answer:

A, B and C

Explanation:

C is computing the exponent, while A and B are equivalent due to properties of fractional exponents.

Remember that...

   

Example Question #2 : Exponential Operations

Possible Answers:

\dpi{100} \small 28

\dpi{100} \small 49

\dpi{100} \small 343

\dpi{100} \small 42

\dpi{100} \small 7

Correct answer:

\dpi{100} \small 7

Explanation:

The easiest way to solve this is to simplify the fraction as much as possible. We can do this by factoring out the greatest common factor of the numerator and the denominator. In this case, the GCF is 

Now, we can cancel out the  from the numerator and denominator and continue simplifying the expression.

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