Question

simplify 625^-1/4

Answer 1

type it into your calculator

Answer 2

\[625^{-1/4}\]

Answer 3

@tsolrm That is not a helpful answer.

@jav122 What number taken to the 4th power gives you 625?

Answer 4

5

Answer 5

that's what the calculators are there for.

Answer 6

the answer is 1/5?

Answer 7

yes

Answer 8

Yes, you could just use calculators for everything and never learn how to actually do any of it yourself, and that would work fine... until the point that you have to learn things that build on those concepts and you can't learn them because you just used your calculator for everything instead of learning.

@jav122 Since \(5^4=625\), you can rewrite it as \((5^4)^{-1/4}\), right? Then just multiply the exponents.

Answer 9

if you remember all the different roots then good for you. The rest can use calculators instead of loading the brain with useless information.

Answer 10

im stuck in simplify 4sqrt180

Answer 11

It's not useless information if you ever want to be able to go into advanced mathematics as a basis for a degree in math, science, engineering, or technology.

jav: If you have a new question it's best to close this one and open a new one so that people know it's a new question.

Answer 12

I am doing a mathematics degree, and i find no need to remember what number would give 625 if raised to the power of 4 (although i would guess it's five) because this is something i would work out on a calculator. it's like trying to work out 345x543 in your brain. why bother when you have the resources to do it quickly?
if everyone was like you, we'd be living in the stone age.

Answer 13

but this is the question

Simplify
\[4\sqrt{180}\]

Answer 14

@tsolrm It's not about memorizing powers of numbers, it's about understanding the manipulations and being able to recognize things that should be familiar, and actually using your brain rather than outsourcing everything to a calculator. The reason to bother is because it trains your mind to work mathematically. You could know everything there is to know about mathematics and still not be a good mathematician, because mathematics is a skill, and that skill must be trained.

jav: open a new question thread for your new question.