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Amy Ferguson Moncure

H Algebra 2/Trig ยท Unit 3

Simplify a Power

Multiply exponents, and take a root of a product one factor at a time.

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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

What to Remember

A power of a power

Multiply the exponents.

\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

A product to a power

Raise the number and the variable separately.

\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

Level 1

Easy

The answer is a whole-number power of x.

Example
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{5}{3}}\right)^{3}\)

\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{5}{3}\cdot 3}\)

\(x^{\frac{15}{3}}\)

\(x^{5}\)

Answer: \(x^{5}\)

1
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{2}{3}}\right)^{3}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{2}{3}\cdot 3}\)

\(x^{\frac{6}{3}}\)

\(x^{2}\)

Answer: \(x^{2}\)

2
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{3}{4}}\right)^{4}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{3}{4}\cdot 4}\)

\(x^{\frac{12}{4}}\)

\(x^{3}\)

Answer: \(x^{3}\)

3
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{4}{5}}\right)^{5}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{4}{5}\cdot 5}\)

\(x^{\frac{20}{5}}\)

\(x^{4}\)

Answer: \(x^{4}\)

4
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{2}{5}}\right)^{5}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{2}{5}\cdot 5}\)

\(x^{\frac{10}{5}}\)

\(x^{2}\)

Answer: \(x^{2}\)

5
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{5}{2}}\right)^{2}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{5}{2}\cdot 2}\)

\(x^{\frac{10}{2}}\)

\(x^{5}\)

Answer: \(x^{5}\)

Level 2

Medium

A whole number stays in front of x.

Example
Simplify. \(\left(8x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}\)

\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(8x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}\)

\(8^{\frac{1}{3}} \cdot \left(x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}\)

\(2^{3} = 8\)

\(8^{\frac{1}{3}} = 2\)

\(\left(x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}} = x^{\frac{6}{3}}\)

\(x^{\frac{6}{3}} = x^{2}\)

\(2x^{2}\)

Answer: \(2x^{2}\)

1
Simplify. \(\left(27x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}\)
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\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(27x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}\)

\(27^{\frac{2}{3}} \cdot \left(x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}\)

\(9^{3} = 27^{2}\)

\(27^{\frac{2}{3}} = 9\)

\(\left(x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}} = x^{\frac{6}{3}}\)

\(x^{\frac{6}{3}} = x^{2}\)

\(9x^{2}\)

Answer: \(9x^{2}\)

2
Simplify. \(\left(16x^{8}\right)^{\frac{3}{4}}\)
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\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(16x^{8}\right)^{\frac{3}{4}}\)

\(16^{\frac{3}{4}} \cdot \left(x^{8}\right)^{\frac{3}{4}}\)

\(8^{4} = 16^{3}\)

\(16^{\frac{3}{4}} = 8\)

\(\left(x^{8}\right)^{\frac{3}{4}} = x^{\frac{24}{4}}\)

\(x^{\frac{24}{4}} = x^{6}\)

\(8x^{6}\)

Answer: \(8x^{6}\)

3
Simplify. \(\left(32x^{10}\right)^{\frac{2}{5}}\)
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\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(32x^{10}\right)^{\frac{2}{5}}\)

\(32^{\frac{2}{5}} \cdot \left(x^{10}\right)^{\frac{2}{5}}\)

\(4^{5} = 32^{2}\)

\(32^{\frac{2}{5}} = 4\)

\(\left(x^{10}\right)^{\frac{2}{5}} = x^{\frac{20}{5}}\)

\(x^{\frac{20}{5}} = x^{4}\)

\(4x^{4}\)

Answer: \(4x^{4}\)

4
Simplify. \(\left(81x^{12}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}}\)
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\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(81x^{12}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}}\)

\(81^{\frac{1}{4}} \cdot \left(x^{12}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}}\)

\(3^{4} = 81\)

\(81^{\frac{1}{4}} = 3\)

\(\left(x^{12}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}} = x^{\frac{12}{4}}\)

\(x^{\frac{12}{4}} = x^{3}\)

\(3x^{3}\)

Answer: \(3x^{3}\)

5
Simplify. \(\left(125x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}\)
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\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(125x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}\)

\(125^{\frac{2}{3}} \cdot \left(x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}\)

\(25^{3} = 125^{2}\)

\(125^{\frac{2}{3}} = 25\)

\(\left(x^{3}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}} = x^{\frac{6}{3}}\)

\(x^{\frac{6}{3}} = x^{2}\)

\(25x^{2}\)

Answer: \(25x^{2}\)

Level 3

Hard

The exponent in the answer is still a fraction.

Example
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{3}{4}}\right)^{2}\)

\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{3}{4}\cdot 2}\)

\(x^{\frac{6}{4}}\)

\(x^{\frac{3}{2}}\)

Answer: \(x^{\frac{3}{2}}\)

1
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{5}{6}}\right)^{2}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{5}{6}\cdot 2}\)

\(x^{\frac{10}{6}}\)

\(x^{\frac{5}{3}}\)

Answer: \(x^{\frac{5}{3}}\)

2
Simplify. \(\left(x^{\frac{2}{5}}\right)^{3}\)
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\((a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn}\)

\(x^{\frac{2}{5}\cdot 3}\)

\(x^{\frac{6}{5}}\)

Answer: \(x^{\frac{6}{5}}\)

3
Simplify. \(\left(27x^{4}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}\)
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\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(27x^{4}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}\)

\(27^{\frac{1}{3}} \cdot \left(x^{4}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}\)

\(3^{3} = 27\)

\(27^{\frac{1}{3}} = 3\)

\(\left(x^{4}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}} = x^{\frac{4}{3}}\)

\(3x^{\frac{4}{3}}\)

Answer: \(3x^{\frac{4}{3}}\)

4
Simplify. \(\left(16x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}}\)
Show Answer

\((ab)^{n} = a^{n}b^{n}\)

\(\left(16x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}}\)

\(16^{\frac{1}{4}} \cdot \left(x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}}\)

\(2^{4} = 16\)

\(16^{\frac{1}{4}} = 2\)

\(\left(x^{6}\right)^{\frac{1}{4}} = x^{\frac{6}{4}}\)

\(x^{\frac{3}{2}}\)

\(2x^{\frac{3}{2}}\)

Answer: \(2x^{\frac{3}{2}}\)

5
Simplify. \(x^{\frac{1}{2}} \cdot x^{\frac{1}{3}}\)
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\(x^{m} \cdot x^{n} = x^{m+n}\)

\(x^{\frac{1}{2}} \cdot x^{\frac{1}{3}}\)

\(x^{\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}}\)

\(x^{\frac{3}{6}+\frac{2}{6}}\)

\(x^{\frac{5}{6}}\)

Answer: \(x^{\frac{5}{6}}\)

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