# Math Help - Urgent Question

1. ## Urgent Question

This may be a dumb question, but I'm really totally blanking on this D: So please no laughing :/

Anyway

In the following example:

$
5 x 3 (2^3 + 1^3)^3 + 9
$

My question is simply about the "3" that is the exponent of the whole parenthesis group. I know that the exponents within the parenthesis are to be multiplied and not added as typical for exponents. So you multiply the exponents by 3 BUT do you multiply the base numbers by 3 or do you square it to that 3rd exponent???

I'm so confused about that because I could of swore a teacher once told me to multiply the base number and not square it but I need to be 100% certain. Thanks and any help would be MUCH appreciated! Thanks!

2. the order of operations takes precedence here ...

$(2^3 + 1^3)^3 = (8+1)^3 = 9^3$

3. Ah, I see. Hmm Interesting thanks man.

Also. Question here

$

-3^3

$

In that case WITHOUT the parenthesis around "-3" then does that mean the answer would be -27 or +27?

I am pretty sure it would be positive because a square without parenthesis is negative then that times a negative is positive.

Hmm is that correct?

4. In the case of the exponent 3 it keeps the sign, let's just use 3 as an example:

$-3^3 = -3*3*3 = -27$

$(-3)^3 = -3*-3*-3 = -27$

All odd exponents keep the sign.

5. Ah...

Great tool. All Odd exponents keep the sign. Very interesting.

Thanks mate. Preciate it.