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How can I divide a by b, if both have exponent c?

Donagan

Top Answerer

It would be the fraction (a/b) raised to the power of c.

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Question

How do I divide a positive number with a positive exponent by a positive number with a negative exponent?

Community Answer

First of all, the two positive numbers (the bases) have to be the same. If they are, you subtract the exponent in the denominator from the exponent in the numerator. If the denominator's exponent is negative, you treat it as if it were positive and add it to the numerator's exponent. Thus, x^3 ÷ x^(-1) = x^4.

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Question

What is 400 divided by 10^3?

Community Answer

400 / 10³ = 400 / 1000 = 0.4.

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What do I do with whole numbers that don't divide into each other?

Community Answer

Any whole number (except zero) will divide into any other whole number, although in many cases you'll wind up with a remainder. However, if you're talking about exponential expressions, the base number in the numerator must match the base number in the denominator, in which case you simply subtract the denominator's exponent from the numerator's exponent and retain the base number.

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Question

What is 4/3 to the power 4 divided by 2/9 to the power 4?

Community Answer

(4/3)ˆ4 / (2/9)ˆ4 = [ (4/3)/(2/9) ]ˆ4 ...[aˆn / bˆn = (a/b)ˆn] = [ (4/3) x (9/2) ]ˆ 4 = [ (4x9)/(3x2) ]ˆ4 = [ 36/6 ]ˆ4 = [ 6 ]ˆ4 = 1296

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Question

How do I divide a bionomial numerator with has no exponents with denominator with the same base as the numerator, but with negative exponents x + y / x1 + y1?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Let's assume you are trying to divide (x + y) by [(x^-1) + (y^-1)]. The denominator (the expression in brackets) can be simplified this way: [(x^-1) + (y^-1)] = (1/x) + (1/y) = (y/xy) + (x/xy) = (y + x) / xy = (x + y) / xy. Taking this last expression as the new denominator, we now have (x + y) / [(x + y) / xy]. Because the denominator is now a fraction, we can invert it and multiply by the numerator to get the final result. Thus, (x + y)(xy / (x + y) = xy. The final answer is xy. If this is confusing, remember that to divide by a fraction, you invert the fraction and multiply it by the other number.

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Question

What is (8/9) to the 2nd exponent? Is it 64/81?

Donagan

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Yes. (8/9)² = 8² / 9² = 64 / 81.

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Question

How do I divide exponents with different bases?

Donagan

Top Answerer

First evaluate each base-and-exponent pair, then do the division. For example, 2^8 / 3³ = 256 / 27 = 9.48.

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Question

How do I multiply 2^6 * 5^5?

Donagan

Top Answerer

(2^6)(5^5) = (64)(3125) = 200,000.

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Question

How can I calculate -2 to the power of 2 divided by 3?

Donagan

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(-2)² / 3 = 4 / 3.

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What is 3 to power of 4 divided by 3 to the power of 4?

Donagan

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Any number divided by itself equals 1.

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6 x 6 x 6 should be divided by what number to get 3 x 3 x 3 x 3?

Donagan

Top Answerer

6 x 6 x 6 = 216. 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 81. Divide 216 by 81.

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Question

What's another way of writing a^(m/n)?

Donagan

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[a^m]^(1/n). This means the nth root of (a^m).

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Question

How to divide y^2/y^3

SamJ1307

Community Answer

Subtract the exponent. y^2/y^3 = y^(2-3) = y^(-1) = 1/y Whenever a number has a negative exponent, you have to invert it to get a positive exponent. Like y^(-1) = 1/y^1 = 1/y.

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Question

How do I divide a^x by b^y?

Community Answer

You cannot divide them, because they do not have the same base (a and b). So you have to leave the expression as (a^x) / (b^y).

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What (is x³+3x²+1) divided by (x² - x + 1)?

Community Answer

This is a polynomial divided by a polynomial. See Divide Polynomials and Divide Polynomials Using Synthetic Division

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What is 5 x 10^9 divided by 1 x 10^10?

Community Answer

(5 x 10^9) ÷ (1 x 10^10) = (5/1) x 10^(9 - 10) = 5 x 10^(-1) = 5 x (0.1) = 0.5 = 1/2.

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