# Math Help - Can you help simplify?

1. ## 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

2. 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
$

3. lets see you try the first step

4. You should consider the following

$a^m\div a^n = a^{m-n}$

5. Yes pickslides, the above is the expression...tI'm having trouble sorting thru..thanks much

7. 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!