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Simplifying Expressions With Integer Exponents

Simplifying Expressions With Integer Exponents

All of the exponent properties we developed earlier in the tutorial with whole number exponents apply to integer exponents, too. We restate them here for reference.

Summary of Exponent Properties

If \(a\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{and}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}b\) are real numbers, and \(m\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{and}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}n\) are integers, then

\(\begin{array}{cccccc}\mathbf{\text{Product Property}}\hfill & & & \hfill {a}^{m}·{a}^{n}& =\hfill & {a}^{m+n}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Power Property}}\hfill & & & \hfill {\left({a}^{m}\right)}^{n}& =\hfill & {a}^{m·n}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Product to a Power}}\hfill & & & \hfill {\left(ab\right)}^{m}& =\hfill & {a}^{m}{b}^{m}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Quotient Property}}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{{a}^{m}}{{a}^{n}}& =\hfill & {a}^{m-n},a\ne 0\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Zero Exponent Property}}\hfill & & & \hfill {a}^{0}& =\hfill & 1,a\ne 0\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Quotient to a Power Property}}\hfill & & & \hfill {\left(\frac{a}{b}\right)}^{m}& =\hfill & \frac{{a}^{m}}{{b}^{m}},\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}b\ne 0\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Properties of Negative Exponents}}\hfill & & & \hfill {a}^{\text{−}n}& =\hfill & \frac{1}{{a}^{n}}\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}\text{and}\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}\frac{1}{{a}^{\text{−}n}}={a}^{n}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Quotient to a Negative Exponent}}\hfill & & & \hfill {\left(\frac{a}{b}\right)}^{\text{−}n}& =\hfill & {\left(\frac{b}{a}\right)}^{n}\hfill \end{array}\)

Example

Simplify:

  1. \({x}^{-4}·{x}^{6}\)
  2. \({y}^{-6}·{y}^{4}\)
  3. \({z}^{-5}·{z}^{-3}.\)

Solution

  1. \(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \phantom{\rule{10em}{0ex}}{x}^{-4}·{x}^{6}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Product Property,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{a}^{m}·{a}^{n}={a}^{m+n}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{10em}{0ex}}{x}^{-4+6}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{10em}{0ex}}{x}^{2}\hfill \end{array}\)
  2. \(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \phantom{\rule{6em}{0ex}}{y}^{-6}·{y}^{4}\hfill \\ \text{Notice the same bases, so add the exponents.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{6em}{0ex}}{y}^{-6+4}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{6em}{0ex}}{y}^{-2}\hfill \\ \text{Use the definition of a negative exponent,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{a}^{\text{−}n}=\frac{1}{{a}^{n}}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{6em}{0ex}}\frac{1}{{y}^{2}}\hfill \end{array}\)
  3. \(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{z}^{-5}·{z}^{-3}\hfill \\ \text{Add the exponents, since the bases are the same.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{z}^{-5-3}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{z}^{-8}\hfill \\ \begin{array}{c}\text{Take the reciprocal and change the sign of the exponent,}\hfill \\ \text{using the definition of a negative exponent.}\hfill \end{array}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}\frac{1}{{z}^{8}}\hfill \end{array}\)

In the next two examples, we’ll start by using the Commutative Property to group the same variables together. This makes it easier to identify the like bases before using the Product Property.

Example

Simplify: \(\left({m}^{4}{n}^{-3}\right)\left({m}^{-5}{n}^{-2}\right).\)

Solution

\(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \left({m}^{4}{n}^{-3}\right)\left({m}^{-5}{n}^{-2}\right)\hfill \\ \text{Use the Commutative Property to get like bases together.}\hfill & & & {m}^{4}{m}^{-5}·{n}^{-2}{n}^{-3}\hfill \\ \text{Add the exponents for each base.}\hfill & & & {m}^{-1}·{n}^{-5}\hfill \\ \text{Take reciprocals and change the signs of the exponents.}\hfill & & & \frac{1}{{m}^{1}}·\frac{1}{{n}^{5}}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \frac{1}{m{n}^{5}}\hfill \end{array}\)

If the monomials have numerical coefficients, we multiply the coefficients, just like we did earlier.

Example

Simplify: \(\left(2{x}^{-6}{y}^{8}\right)\left(-5{x}^{5}{y}^{-3}\right).\)

Solution

\(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \left(2{x}^{-6}{y}^{8}\right)\left(-5{x}^{5}{y}^{-3}\right)\hfill \\ \text{Rewrite with the like bases together.}\hfill & & & 2\left(-5\right)·\left({x}^{-6}{x}^{5}\right)·\left({y}^{8}{y}^{-3}\right)\hfill \\ \text{Multiply the coefficients and add the exponents of each variable.}\hfill & & & -10·{x}^{-1}·{y}^{5}\hfill \\ \text{Use the definition of a negative exponent,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{a}^{\text{−}n}=\frac{1}{{a}^{n}}.\hfill & & & -10·\frac{1}{{x}^{1}}·{y}^{5}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \frac{-10{y}^{5}}{x}\hfill \end{array}\)

In the next two examples, we’ll use the Power Property and the Product to a Power Property.

Example

Simplify: \({\left(6{k}^{3}\right)}^{-2}.\)

Solution

\(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{\left(6{k}^{3}\right)}^{-2}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Product to a Power Property,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\left(ab\right)}^{m}={a}^{m}{b}^{m}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{\left(6\right)}^{-2}{\left({k}^{3}\right)}^{-2}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Power Property,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\left({a}^{m}\right)}^{n}={a}^{m·n}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{6}^{-2}{k}^{-6}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Definition of a Negative Exponent,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{a}^{\text{−}n}=\frac{1}{{a}^{n}}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}\frac{1}{{6}^{2}}·\frac{1}{{k}^{6}}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}\frac{1}{36{k}^{6}}\hfill \end{array}\)

Example

Simplify: \({\left(5{x}^{-3}\right)}^{2}.\)

Solution

\(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{\left(5{x}^{-3}\right)}^{2}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Product to a Power Property,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\left(ab\right)}^{m}={a}^{m}{b}^{m}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{5}^{2}{\left({x}^{-3}\right)}^{2}\hfill \\ \begin{array}{c}\text{Simplify}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{5}^{2}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{and multiply the exponents of}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}x\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{using the Power}\hfill \\ \text{Property,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\left({a}^{m}\right)}^{n}={a}^{m·n}.\hfill \end{array}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}25·{x}^{-6}\hfill \\ \begin{array}{c}\text{Rewrite}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{x}^{-6}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{by using the Definition of a Negative Exponent,}\hfill \\ {a}^{\text{−}n}=\frac{1}{{a}^{n}}.\hfill \end{array}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}25·\frac{1}{{x}^{6}}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}\frac{25}{{x}^{6}}\hfill \end{array}\)

To simplify a fraction, we use the Quotient Property and subtract the exponents.

Example

Simplify: \(\frac{{r}^{5}}{{r}^{-4}}.\)

Solution

\(\begin{array}{cccc}& & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}\frac{{r}^{5}}{{r}^{-4}}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Quotient Property,}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\frac{{a}^{m}}{{a}^{n}}={a}^{m-n}.\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{r}^{5-\left(-4\right)}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \phantom{\rule{4em}{0ex}}{r}^{9}\hfill \end{array}\)

This lesson is part of:

Polynomials II

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