# Math Help - Need help. Simple exponent question.

1. ## Need help. Simple exponent question.

-2^4+3^-1

Okay so here it is, feel kind of stupid but havent done any math since the beginning of my grade 12 year :/ and just started a university math course for my IT degree sort of thing

Need to simplify it into the form *A/b* a and b both being integers

It HAS to be simple and for some reason i just dont get it. I understand the rest of the more complicated stuff in the chapter just stuck on this.

The answer key says it should be -47/3 could be a wrong answer in the back but who knows :S

2. Originally Posted by Djaevel
-2^4+3^-1

Okay so here it is, feel kind of stupid but havent done any math since the beginning of my grade 12 year :/ and just started a university math course for my IT degree sort of thing

Need to simplify it into the form *A/b* a and b both being integers

It HAS to be simple and for some reason i just dont get it. I understand the rest of the more complicated stuff in the chapter just stuck on this.

The answer key says it should be -47/3 could be a wrong answer in the back but who knows :S
I'm assuming you understand that $2^4 = 16$, the negation sign just changes its sign.

note that $a^{-b} = \frac{1}{a^b}$
$

-2^4 + 3^{-1} = -16 + \frac{1}{3^1} = -\frac{48}{3} + \frac{1}{3} = ...
$

3. Oh WOW i got as far as the -16+(1/3^1) and didnt even think of making the denominators the same :| durrr.

Thanks a ton.