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ACT Math Intermediate Algebra Drill 2, Problem 2. How else can the expression be written?
GED Math 1.3 Rational Numbers. Which answer best fills in the blank?
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CAHSEE Math 4.3 Number Sense 187 Views
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Description:
Number Sense: Drill Set 4, Problem 3. Simplify the expression.
- Algebra / Write expressions in equivalent forms to solve problems
- Number and Quantity / Extend the properties of exponents to rational exponents
- Algebra / Write expressions in equivalent forms to solve problems
- Number and Quantity / Extend the properties of exponents to rational exponents
- Number Sense / Exponent rules
Transcript
- 00:03
Here's an unshmoopy question you'll find on an exam somewhere in life...
- 00:08
What does the expression (16a2)(9ab2) simplify to?
- 00:15
And here are the potential answers...
- 00:21
OK, this problem is testing whether we remember that, when we multiply
- 00:24
variables with exponents, we ADD the exponents.
Full Transcript
- 00:31
But the first thing we do is multiply the 16 and the 9 to get 144.
- 00:36
Awesome. We can just cross out A and B as potential answers.
- 00:40
25... pshaw. Who do they think they're dealing with?
- 00:44
Now we have a 50/50 shot of being right.
- 00:46
Sort of like Blake Griffin from the free throw line.
- 00:50
One other math trivia thing we have to know is that "a" is the same as "a" to the first power.
- 00:57
So when we multiply "a" squared and "a" to the first, we get "a" to the third.
- 01:05
And well, we're pretty much done because D is the only possible answer here.
- 01:09
There's no "b" in the first term to multiply. So boom. Done.
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We don't like knocking people down to size, but we do like simplifying radicals. Join us?