## Cutiepo0 Group Title How to evaluate -> (5^-4 - 5^-6)/(5^-3 +5^-5) 3 years ago 3 years ago

1. satellite73

bet you got the idea now. write it without the negative exponents. then clear the fractions

2. Cutiepo0

Okay so:

3. satellite73

$\frac{5^{-4} - 5^{-6}}{5^{-3} +5^{-5}}$ muttiply top and bottom by $5^6$

4. Cutiepo0

I got (1/5^4 - 1/5^6)/ (1/5^3 +1/5^5)

5. Cutiepo0

wait. How come I have to multiply top and bottom by 5^6?

6. satellite73

that will clear the fractions. $5^{-4}\times 5^6=5^2$

7. satellite73

if you want you can write this in fraction notation. then you will see that you should multiply top and bottom by $5^6$

8. satellite73

i will write it out if you like

9. Cutiepo0

10. satellite73

$\frac{5^{-4}-5^{-6}}{5^{-3}+5^{-5}}\times \frac{5^6}{5^6}$

11. satellite73

$\frac{5^2-1}{5^3+5}$ is the second line clear?

12. Cutiepo0

pardon?

13. satellite73

i added the exponents, and i chose $5^6$ so that they would all be positive

14. Cutiepo0

okay

15. satellite73

because i want to evaluate the numbers, i need the exponents to be positive

16. Cutiepo0

mmhm

17. satellite73

now i can see what the numbers are. numerator is 25+1=26

18. satellite73

denominator is 125+5=130

19. Cutiepo0

Isn't the numerator 25-1?

20. satellite73

oops yes

21. Cutiepo0

Okay, that's great, thanks :) I was making it way more complicated thn it needed to be

22. satellite73

i would like to say that was a "typo" but i guess it was a mistake. in any case you have the answer, it is $\frac{24}{130}=\frac{12}{65}$

23. satellite73

good! yw

24. emilystardawn

i like ur pic