Math Is Fun Forum

jessthedinosaur

Member

Registered: 2011-02-16

Posts: 1

Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

I'm starting to get the hang of exponent laws and such, but I'm not quite sure if my answers are correct.
If anyone could take the time to walk me through the first one, and verify the other two, I'd really appreciate it (:

(z^6z^2z^-11)^4 ÷ z^-13

-28a^6b^-3c^5 ÷ 7a^11b^-5c^5
= -4a^-5b^2

(-2ab^7)^3 ÷ (- a^4b^2)^5
= 8a^-17b^11

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,583

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

hi jessthedinosaur

Yes, second and third are ok.  It's very hard to show powers like this.  It'll be worth it to learn a bit of LaTex.  It's a code for making maths look right on screen.  I'll try to put your first one into LaTex to show what I mean.

It's done by starting with square brackets math and ending with square brackets /math.  In between you put your expression.

Here's yours without the leading square bracket

math]\frac{(z^6z^2z^{-11})^4}{  z^{-13}} [/math]

Notice how you have to put extra curly brackets around the negative and two digit powers because, otherwise you don't get the power correct. 

On the maths help link there's a post which shows you loads more about LaTex.

Anyway, back to the problem:

step (i)  Simplify the insides of the top bracket

Then raise to power 4

Then, finally, sort out the division

Hope that helps

Bob

Last edited by Bob (2011-02-16 12:01:43)

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

gAr

Member

Registered: 2011-01-09

Posts: 3,482

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Hi all,

For LaTeX, you can use online LaTeX equation editors.
e.g. : http://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php

So you can accurately know what you need

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"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"  - Buddha?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Hi gAr;

That is what I use! Nice pull down menus and no software to download to your machine.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

gAr

Member

Registered: 2011-01-09

Posts: 3,482

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Hi bobbym,

Yes, you're right. Offline installations which I have seen are big, so online editors are good for the purpose!

---

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"  - Buddha?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Noy only are they big, they are dangerous. Poorly written software can smash your machine. I have seen numerous cases of that.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

gAr

Member

Registered: 2011-01-09

Posts: 3,482

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Oh, is it? I didn't know that.

---

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"  - Buddha?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Sometimes they are infected and sometimes they just are bad. Granted it does not happen often, first time I saw it was with a text editor called Jarte 105. My machine went down like it was shot in the head. Another time it was with Avast's update.

Like I said it does not happen often but when it does you wish you had not run that software. A online editor is much safer.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

gAr

Member

Registered: 2011-01-09

Posts: 3,482

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

I see many recommending Lyx.
Have you tried it? From the screenshots, I see the interface is similar to the online editor.

---

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"  - Buddha?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Hi;

No, I have not tried it yet. I am happy with codecogs.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

gAr

Member

Registered: 2011-01-09

Posts: 3,482

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Okay, just asked.
I'm also happy with codecogs.

---

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"  - Buddha?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

It is amazing that someone else even knows about it.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

gAr

Member

Registered: 2011-01-09

Posts: 3,482

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Actually, it's first search result on google, when we search "latex online"

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"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"  - Buddha?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

I used "online latex editor," but apparently not a whole lot of people got that idea...

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

phrontister

Real Member

From: The Land of Tomorrow

Registered: 2009-07-12

Posts: 4,861

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

Hi Bobby & gAr,

I was new to Latex before I joined MIF, but Bobby gave me the codecogs link and I've been using it ever since. I found it very easy to use, and it makes my work so much easier to read than plain text.

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"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,583

Re: Exponent - Confusion with Questions and Answers

hi guys,

Aaarrrhhh!  So that's how you do it.  I've been writing my own code all this time.  Thanks, I'll give it a try.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob