Negative power division

**nexer** · November 5th 2009, 12:22 PM

Hi can anyone help me? what do you do when dividing two different numbers when one of the powers is negative?

for example 7^-3/7^3

**masters** · November 5th 2009, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by nexer

Hi can anyone help me? what do you do when dividing two different numbers when one of the powers is negative?

Hi nexer,

Remember this rule:

$\frac{x^a}{x^b}=x^{a-b}$

Example:

$\frac{x^{-3}}{x^{-5}}=x^{-3-(-5)}=x^2$

Your example:

$\frac{7^{-3}}{7^3}=7^{-3-3}=7^{-6}=\frac{1}{7^6}$

**nexer** · November 5th 2009, 12:38 PM

so say if there was a negative power on the bottom it would be a positive as two negatives make a positive, and thank you for the help.

**e^(i*pi)** · November 5th 2009, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by nexer

so say if there was a negative power on the bottom it would be a positive as two negatives make a positive, and thank you for the help.

Yes, that's exactly it

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