# Can you help simplify?

• Dec 16th 2009, 06:38 PM
jay1
Can you help simplify?
It's hard to type this expression, the 5's 2's and -2 in red are exponents. Please help simplify: (2a5b2/4a5b-2) -4
• Dec 16th 2009, 06:40 PM
pickslides
Quote:

Originally Posted by jay1
It's hard to type this expression, the 5's 2's and -2 in red are exponents. Please help simplify: (2a5b2/4a5b-2) -4

Is this the expression?

$\frac{2a^5b^2}{4a^5b^{-2}}-4
$
• Dec 16th 2009, 06:41 PM
bigwave
lets see you try the first step
• Dec 16th 2009, 06:43 PM
pickslides
You should consider the following

$a^m\div a^n = a^{m-n}$
• Dec 16th 2009, 06:49 PM
jay1
Yes pickslides, the above is the expression...tI'm having trouble sorting thru..thanks much
• Dec 16th 2009, 06:56 PM
jay1
• Dec 16th 2009, 06:57 PM
pickslides
Here's one I prepared earlier

$\frac{3a^4b^3}{9a^4b^{-1}}-3$

first cancelling the coefficents 3 and 9 we get

$\frac{a^4b^3}{3a^4b^{-1}}-3$

$a^4$ is similar to both top and bottom as they cancel completely

$\frac{b^3}{3b^{-1}}-3$

Now lets take care of the b terms with the rule $a^m\div a^n = a^{m-n}$

$\frac{b^{3-(-1)}}{3}-3$

finally

$\frac{b^4}{3}-3$

and making a common denominator of 3 in both terms gives

$\frac{b^4-9}{3}$

Now use this example to finish yours!