Simplify

(-h^4)^5

Question

Simplify

(-h^4)^5

solomonzelman · Answer

$$(-h^4)^5$$$$(-h)^{20}$$

solomonzelman · Answer

I would say even more.$$h^{20}$$positive h becuase (-h)^20 is also a positive number, but just go with $$(-h)^{20}$$

shamil98 · Answer

Remember,
$$\huge (ax^n)^m = a^m * x^{n*m}$$

shamil98 · Answer

$$\huge -1^5  * h^{4*5}$$
$$\huge -1*h^{20} --> -h^{20}$$

mathstudent55 · Answer

$(-h^4)^5$

$= -(h^4)^5 $

$ =- (h^{20}) $

$ = - h^{20} $

mathstudent55 · Answer

$ (-h)^{20} =  h^{20} $ is not the correct solution.

shamil98 · Answer

you can't just take
the negative one out of the parentheses either @mathstudent55 
what if it were
(-h^4)^4 for example.
you would get +h^16

mathstudent55 · Answer

$ (-h^4)^5 $

$= [(-1) \times (h^4) ]^5 $

$= (-1)^5 \times (h^4)^5 $

$ = -1 \times h^{20} $

$= -h^{20} $

solomonzelman · Answer

$$(-h^4)^5$$$$(-h)^{20}$$
what is the argument about?

mathstudent55 · Answer

I can take the negative out of the parentheses because I am solving this specific problem in which the negative in the parentheses means $ (-1)^5$ which equals -1. I did that step in my head. Had the exponent been 6 instead of 5, instead of -1 you'd get 1. Then the final answer would have been $ h^{24} $.

shamil98 · Answer

that's not correct solomon.
it's just
-h^20
not (-h)^20

solomonzelman · Answer

well, the question started $$(-h^4)^5$$$$-(h)^{20}$$I see my mistake.

mathstudent55 · Answer

@shamil98 
If you want to be really strict about it, then what you wrote above is also only correct for the specific exponent of 5. 

You wrote:

$\huge -1^5  * h^{4*5} $

It really should be

$ \huge (-1)^5  * h^{4*5} $

The reason your answer is correct is that with the specific exponent in this problem being 5, an odd integer, that makes your statement correct.