A and b are numbers

A

Argile1845

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A and b are numbers and a^3=5 and b^3=4.
Find the value of (ab^2) ^-3

I need help starting this. This one is stumping me but I know it's simple I'm just looking at it all wrong.
 
Argile1845 said:
A and b are numbers and a^3=5 and b^3=4.
Find the value of (ab^2) ^-3

I need help starting this. This one is stumping me but I know it's simple I'm just looking at it all wrong.
Click to expand...
Use:

(xn)m = x(n*m)

and simplify (ab^2) ^(-3)
 
Argile1845 said:
A and b are numbers and a^3=5 and b^3=4.
Find the value of (ab^2) ^-3

I need help starting this. This one is stumping me but I know it's simple I'm just looking at it all wrong.
Click to expand...
You can first apply the fact that (xy)^n = x^n y^n.

Then you can apply the fact that (x^m)^n = x^(mn).

Are you familiar with these?

There will be more to do, but that is a start.

Give it a try and show some work, so we see where you stand.
 
Well so far I have ab^-6
I know that a^3=5 and b^3=4 so if I split the ^-6 up I'd have -5*-5*-4*-4=400?
 
I'll do a similar one for you.
a and b are numbers and a^3=3 and b^3=2.
Find the value of (ab^3) ^-3

(ab^4) ^-3 = a-3b-12 = 1/[a3b12] = 1/[3*24]=1/[3*16] = 1/48
 
Jomo said:
I'll do a similar one for you.
a and b are numbers and a^3=3 and b^3=2.
Find the value of (ab^3) ^-3

(ab^4) ^-3 = a-3b-12 = 1/[a3b12] = 1/[3*24]=1/[3*16] = 1/48
Click to expand...
Mat I ask why you changed the sign in the step from (ab^3)^-3 to (ab^4) ^-3? Why did the exponent change to a 4th power when it was a 3 to begin with?
 
Subhotosh Khan said:
It should be (ab)^(-6)

(ab)^(-6) = [(a * b)^(3)]^(-2) = [(a^3 * b^3)]^(-2) ....... continue
Click to expand...
Ok, so [(a^3 * b^3)]^(-2) the first step is do is the inner parentheses- [(5*4)]^(-2) = (20)^(-2) =
Argile1845 said:
Mat I ask why you changed the sign in the step from (ab^3)^-3 to (ab^4) ^-3? Why did the exponent change to a 4th power when it was a 3 to begin with?
Click to expand...
Nevermind, I noticed my mistake
 
Aaahhh, do you know how happy that makes me?! Whew. Thank you so much. Learning on my own and it's so difficult. Thanks again! Sorry for ally questions but I have no one else.
 
I'm just concerned about one thing...
On the original question it had (ab^2)^-3... But in the question above that I solved I was multiplying the a and the b by the ^3power before multiplying it by a ^ -2 power.. Can I really switch those places?
 
Argile1845 said:
Mat I ask why you changed the sign in the step from (ab^3)^-3 to (ab^4) ^-3? Why did the exponent change to a 4th power when it was a 3 to begin with?
Click to expand...
Things like that happen when you use a similar problem. A similar problem is different from the original one.
 
Jomo said:
I'll do a similar one for you.
a and b are numbers and a^3=3 and b^3=2.
Find the value of (ab^3) ^-3

(ab^4) ^-3 = a-3b-12 = 1/[a3b12] = 1/[3*24]=1/[3*16] = 1/48
Click to expand...
You do realize you made a typo in your own problem, right?
 
Dr.Peterson said:
You can first apply the fact that (xy)^n = x^n y^n.

Then you can apply the fact that (x^m)^n = x^(mn).

Are you familiar with these?

There will be more to do, but that is a start.

Give it a try and show some work, so we see where you stand.
Click to expand...
So would this be [(a(^2 * ^-3) * b(^2 * ^-3)]
Which would equal (a^-6 * b^-6) correct?
I know a^3=5 so I want to simplify this and say (-5*-5*-4*-4) = 400... I still get 400.
What am I doing wrong?
 
Argile1845 said:
So would this be [(a(^2 * ^-3) * b(^2 * ^-3)]
Which would equal (a^-6 * b^-6) correct?
I know a^3=5 so I want to simplify this and say (-5*-5*-4*-4) = 400... I still get 400.
What am I doing wrong?
Click to expand...
What you wrote there is meaningless; I suppose you meant a^(2*-3) b^(2*-3). But if you started with (ab^2)^-3 from your problem, that is wrong. Do you see where?

Also, if a^3 = 5, then a^-6 is not -5*-5. In fact, a^-3 is not -5. Negative exponents don't change the sign of the result; they product a reciprocal: a^-n = 1/a^n, not -a^n. That is probably a big part of your difficulty.
 
This helps a lot, thank you. I realize that now, how did I forget that?!
I am sorry about the typing. I am new at having to type it out and I can get mess it up. Thank you for being patient with me.
 
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