Can someone help me understand this?
2(-3a^8b)^3

Question

Can someone help me understand this?
2(-3a^8b)^3

anonymous · Answer

think of the stuff inside the bracket as x.So the question is 2x^3

anonymous · Answer

now exponentiation has higher priority tham multiplication. so first you gotta do x^3

campbell_st · Answer

ok... so the power of 3 operates on everything inside the brackets

the power of a power law is 

$$(x^a)^b = x^{a \times b}$$

you need to apply this law

as well as 

$$2 \times (-3)^3$$

anonymous · Answer

I ended up getting -6^(3)2a^(11)2b^(3)

anonymous · Answer

wait up..

anonymous · Answer

first tell me what you get by doing x^3

anonymous · Answer

I am pretty confused right now..

anonymous · Answer

:D.ok i'll help you out

campbell_st · Answer

not quite.... the expanded form is 

$$2 \times (-3)^3 \times (a^8)^3 \times (b^1)^3$$

apply the index law for power of a power, shown above... and evaluate the rest

anonymous · Answer

@nkswizzle  did you get it mate?

anonymous · Answer

@dlearner struggling.. if you can solve it by step by step maybe I can get it :[.

anonymous · Answer

right.. (-3)^3=-27
           (a^8)^3 = a^24
            b^3 =b^3 :)

now write it all together and multiply by tw

anonymous · Answer

@nkswizzle  what did you get :)

anonymous · Answer

@dlearner I got 2 (-27)(a^24)(b^3) !

anonymous · Answer

put the two withem mate :)

anonymous · Answer

@dlearner Now I got -54   2a^24    2b^3

anonymous · Answer

it was simple was't it? :)

anonymous · Answer

hey yo>>> multiply the 2 only once @nkswizzle  . its common to all

anonymous · Answer

@dlearner ah thanks ! It was just a bit confusing with the 2a^24 and the 2b^3 :p