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Understanding Rational Exponents in Algebra

This document discusses rational exponents. It defines rational exponents as exponents of the form m/n, where m and n are integers. It focuses on the special case where the exponent is an integer over an integer. This defines rational exponents as asking what number was raised to the power of n to get the base number b. The document provides examples of evaluating expressions with rational exponents by rewriting them in terms of nth roots rather than directly calculating the exponent.

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Leon Mathaios
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6 views2 pages

Understanding Rational Exponents in Algebra

This document discusses rational exponents. It defines rational exponents as exponents of the form m/n, where m and n are integers. It focuses on the special case where the exponent is an integer over an integer. This defines rational exponents as asking what number was raised to the power of n to get the base number b. The document provides examples of evaluating expressions with rational exponents by rewriting them in terms of nth roots rather than directly calculating the exponent.

Uploaded by

Leon Mathaios
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

5/22/2017 AlgebraRationalExponents

RationalExponents
[Link]
[Link]

wherebothmandnareintegers.

Wewillstartsimplebylookingatthefollowingspecialcase,

[Link]
prettyeasytodealwith.

Letsfirstdefinejustwhatwemeanbyexponentsofthisform.

Inotherwords,whenevaluating wearereallyaskingwhatnumber(inthiscasea)didweraisetothento

[Link] iscalledthenthrootofb.

Letsdoacoupleofevaluations.

Example1Evaluateeachofthefollowing.

(a) [Solution]

(b) [Solution]

(c) [Solution]
(d) [Solution]

(e) [Solution]

(f) [Solution]
Solution
Whendoingtheseevaluationswewilldoactuallynotdothemdirectly.
Whenfirstconfrontedwiththesekindsofevaluationsdoingthem
[Link]
remembertheequivalencegiveninthedefinitionandusethatinstead.

Wewillworkthefirstoneindetailandthennotputasmuchdetailinto
therestoftheproblems.

(a)
So,hereiswhatweareaskinginthisproblem.


Usingtheequivalencefromthedefinitionwecanrewritethisas,

So,allthatwearereallyaskinghereiswhatnumberdidwesquareto
[Link](hopefully)easytoget.Wesquare5toget
[Link],


[Link] 1/2
5/22/2017 AlgebraRationalExponents

[ReturntoProblems]

(b)
Sowhatweareaskinghereiswhatnumberdidweraisetothe5thpower
toget32?

[Link] 2/2

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