Question

Simplify: 12x^5y^8/ 4x^8y^5

Answer 1

Can you write it with parenthesis please? It's hard to know whether there's a multiplication or not

Answer 2

you can simplify the numbers: 12 divided by 4 is what ?

x^5 is short for x*x*x*x*x (x times itself 5 times)
if you divide by x^8, x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x
each x divided by x becomes 1.
\[ \frac{ \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} } {\cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot \cancel{x} \cdot x \cdot x \cdot x }\]

Answer 3

(12x^5y^8) / (4x^8y^5)

Answer 4

3.

Answer 5

yes, 12/4 is 3.
so 3 is part of the answer.

Answer 6

can you simplify the y's ?
\[ \frac{y^8}{y^5} \]
notice you have y*y*y*y*y in the bottom and they will "cancel" 5 of the y's up top

Answer 7

shouldnt it be y^3 than ?

Answer 8

yes you have y*y*y left over "up top"
we can use short-hand and say y^3

so now you have
\[ \frac{3 y^3 x^5}{x^8} \]
if you simplify the x's you get x^3 in the bottom

Answer 9

now what do I have to do

Answer 10

simplify that ?

Answer 11

simplify the x's

Answer 12

1/x^3

Answer 13

so the whole answer is
\[ \frac{3y^3}{x^3} \]

there is a "rule" that says that
\[ \frac{1}{x^n} = x^{-n} \]
so you could also write the answer as
\[ 3 x^{-3}y^3 \]

Answer 14

nice thank you somuch