Thread: dividing polynomials

4x^-1y
10xy^-2

Now I know its 2/5 but I just dont know what to do with the negative exponents.

Another quick one.... (3/4)^-2
Is that just 9/8?

And I don't believe this is factorable... 36x^2 +49
Am I right?

Originally Posted by toddsayshi

4x^-1y
10xy^-2

Now I know its 2/5 but I just dont know what to do with the negative exponents.

Do you know negative exponents? and

So you have:

I would split it up to be:

Now get rid of the negative exponents:

Multiply to get:

Therefore:

Which can be changed to:

but that's as far as you can go.

Another quick one.... (3/4)^-2
Is that just 9/8?

And I don't believe this is factorable... 36x^2 +49
Am I right?

I don't think it is, but 36x^2-49 is.

Here is a link that clears the negative exponents, it basically means something like this:

N^-x = 1/N^x

Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math Archives: Negative Exponents

On top of your problem there, is it 4x^-1 and then multiply by "y" or is it just 4x to the negative 1y power?

And the factoring, you can't factor that, but if in between it was a minus sign then you can: 36x^2-49 = (6x+7)(6x-7)

Hope this helps
Derg

Originally Posted by Dergyll

Here is a link that clears the negative exponents, it basically means something like this:

N^-x = 1/N^x

Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math Archives: Negative Exponents

On top of your problem there, is it 4x^-1 and then multiply by "y" or is it just 4x to the negative 1y power?

And the factoring, you can't factor that, but if in between it was a minus sign then you can: 36x^2-49 = (6x+7)(6x-7)

Hope this helps
Derg

It is 4x^-1 and then multiply by y.

Thats strange...I got the same answer with 2y^3/5x^2...are you sure it's 2/5 or are there other details?

Derg

Here it is....

Originally Posted by toddsayshi

Here it is....

Definitely not 2/5.

-Dan