Question

simplify: -16m^4y-4m^2y^6 / 8m^3y^4

Answer 1

what do you get for the numbers -16 and 8 ?

Answer 2

-2.

Answer 3

yes.
now do the m's m^4/m^3

Answer 4

i got just m.

Answer 5

yes.

Answer 6

but I see another m^2 up top
you can combine m*m^2 right ?

Answer 7

so if i simplify that i get 1/m

Answer 8

the problem is \[ \frac{ -16m^4y^{-4}m^2y^6}{8m^3y^4}\]
you can replace -16/8 with -2
you can replace m^4/m^3 with m
\[ \frac{ -2m y^{-4}m^2y^6}{y^4}\]
notice up top you have m times m^2 (which you know is m*m*m)
if you write that in short-hand you get m^3 up top

Answer 9

alright i undertsand what step do i have to do now.

Answer 10

you can also combine the y's up top
y^-4 * y^6 up top is the same as
y^6/y^4 (put the y in the bottom, and change -4 to +4)
simplify to get y^2

now you still have y^4 in the bottom...

Answer 11

so thats the answer or more steps.

Answer 12

I have lost track of what is what.
post what you have so far

Answer 13

im kind of lost too

Answer 14

start at the beginning, and write down the parts you have simplified, and leave the unsimplified parts (in any) as is.

Answer 15

alright ill try even though im confused now lol

Answer 16

the good news is you can simplify each letter individually... all the m's then all the y's

Answer 17

my choices are 1. -5m^3y^3/2 2. 1/y 3. -2m/y^3 - y^2/2m 4. none 5. 2m/y^3+y^2/2m

Answer 18

Based on those choices, I think you should use the equation editor to enter the original problem... Can you do that ?

Answer 19

I think the problem is
\[ \frac{-16m^4y-4m^2y^6}{ 8m^3y^4} \]
you can write this as two separate fractions
\[ \frac{-16m^4y}{ 8m^3y^4} -\frac{4m^2y^6}{ 8m^3y^4}\]

now simplify each fraction