Scribd
Upload
33 views7 pages

Fractional Exponents

The document contains two word problems involving fractional exponents. The first problem asks to simplify the expression (3)1/2 and the solution shows that this is equivalent to √3. The second problem asks to simplify the radical expression √(63/2) and the solution rewrites this as (6)1/3 by applying the rules that (xa)b = xab and √x = x1/2.

Uploaded by

shisir.vadrevu6
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
33 views7 pages

Fractional Exponents

The document contains two word problems involving fractional exponents. The first problem asks to simplify the expression (3)1/2 and the solution shows that this is equivalent to √3. The second problem asks to simplify the radical expression √(63/2) and the solution rewrites this as (6)1/3 by applying the rules that (xa)b = xab and √x = x1/2.

Uploaded by

shisir.vadrevu6
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

Topic: Fractional exponents

Question: Choose the equivalent expression.


2
3− 3

Answer choices:

1
A
32

1
B 3
9

2
C −3 3
1
D 9 3

31
Solution: B

First, we’ll deal with the negative exponent.

Remember that

1 1
x −a = and xa =
xa x −a

Therefore, we can rewrite 3−2/3 as

1
2
33

In the fractional exponent 2/3, 2 is the power and 3 is the root, which
means we can rewrite the expression as

1
3
32

1
3
9

32
Topic: Fractional exponents

Question: Simplify the expression.


3

(3)
1 2

Answer choices:

1
A
3 3

3
B
3

1
C
9

1
D
3

33
Solution: A

We can rewrite the expression by breaking up the exponent.


3

(3)
1 2

[( 3 ) ]
3 2
1

(3 3 3)
1 1 1 2
⋅ ⋅

Raising a number to the power 1/2 is the same as taking the square root of
that number, so we get

1 1 1
⋅ ⋅
3 3 3

1
27

1
27

1
9⋅3

1
9 3

34
1
3 3

35
Topic: Fractional exponents

Question: Simplify the radical expression.

3
6 6

Answer choices:

A 63
2
B 6 3

C 6

3 1
D 64

36
Solution: C
1
We need to remember that x = x 2 and rewrite

3
6 6

as

3 1
6 ⋅ 62

3 1
1
6 ⋅6 2

Since x a ⋅ x b = x a+b, we can add the exponents and get

3 1
61+ 2

3 3
62

3 1
Since x = x 3 , we can change the expression to
1

(6 )
3 3
2

Now we have an expression of the form (6c)d, with c = 3/2 and d = 1/3, so
we can multiply the exponents.
3 1
62⋅3
1
6 2

37

You might also like