Question

Exponential Simplification

Answer 1

\[x^{-2}-y^{-2}/x^{-1}-y ^{-1}\]

Answer 2

Which do you mean?

\(x^{-2} - \dfrac{y^{-2}}{x^{-1}} - y^{-1}\) -- As you have written?

Or perhaps, \(\dfrac{x^{-2} - y^{-2}}{x^{-1} - y^{-1}}\)?

Please remember your Order of Operations.

Answer 3

@tkhunny The latter of the two, I should have put parentheses

Answer 4

Okay, multiply Numerator and Denominator by x. See what happens and see if it is clear how to proceed, after that.

Answer 5

What do you mean, multiply by x?

Answer 6

I mean multiply by x.

\(x\cdot \left(x^{-2} - y^{-2}\right) = x\cdot x^{-2} - x\cdot y^{-2} = x^{-1} - x\cdot y^{-2}\)

Do that with the denominator.