Question

My text seems to prefer

-15/a^12

instead of

1/15a^12

I would like to verify that they are the same value, and that I am thinking clearly. Thank you.

Answer 1

they are different

Answer 2

15^(-1)= 1/15

-15 is -15

Answer 3

Obviously, thery are not the same expression. The first expression is negative, for all a not 0. The second expression is positive for all a not 0.

Answer 4

I am asking because I questioned it. It is not obvious to me. Sorry. Should I be asking these questions somewhere else, Easyaspi314?

Answer 5

Look at the first expression. I see -15 in the numerator and a positive number in the denominator; so a negative number divided by a positive number is negative.

Answer 6

\[ \frac{-15}{a^{12}} ≠ \frac{1}{15a^{12}} \]

Answer 7

Keep in mind that a^12 is always positive, even if a is a negative numbert, because you are raising it to an even power, 12. Of course a cannot be zero. But a can be any number other than zero.

Answer 8

Thanks all. I understand quite clearly now.