Simplifying Expressions with Exponents
This article will guide you through simplifying the expression (x³y⁵)⁴(x³y²)⁻². We'll break down the process step-by-step using the rules of exponents.
Understanding the Rules
Before we begin, let's review the key exponent rules that we'll use:
- Product of powers: xᵃ * xᵇ = xᵃ⁺ᵇ
- Power of a power: (xᵃ)ᵇ = xᵃᵇ
- Negative exponent: x⁻ᵃ = 1/xᵃ
Simplifying the Expression
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Apply the Power of a Power Rule:
- (x³y⁵)⁴ = x³⁴ y⁵⁴ = x¹²y²⁰
- (x³y²)⁻² = x³*⁻² y²*⁻² = x⁻⁶y⁻⁴
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Substitute the simplified terms back into the original expression:
- (x¹²y²⁰)(x⁻⁶y⁻⁴)
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Apply the Product of Powers Rule:
- x¹² * x⁻⁶ = x¹²⁻⁶ = x⁶
- y²⁰ * y⁻⁴ = y²⁰⁻⁴ = y¹⁶
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Combine the results:
- x⁶y¹⁶
Final Result
The simplified form of (x³y⁵)⁴(x³y²)⁻² is x⁶y¹⁶.