Question

Simplify 7^-5/6*7^-7/6

Answer 1

So the rule with multiplying exponents of the same base is $x^m*x^n=x^{m+n}$ . Apply this rule here:

$7^{-\frac{5}{6}}*7^{-\frac{7}{6}}=7^{-\frac{5}{6}+{-\frac{7}{6}}}=7^{-\frac{12}{6}}=7^{-2}$

Next, the rule with converting negative exponents into positive ones is $x^{-m}=\frac{1}{x^m}$ . Apply this rule here:

$7^{-2}=\frac{1}{7^2}=\frac{1}{49}$

Your final answer is 1/49.

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So an additional rule when it comes to exponents is $x^{\frac{m}{n}}=\sqrt[n]{x^m}$

In this case, your fractional exponent, x^9/7, would be converted to $\sqrt[7]{x^9}$ . However, I had just realized you can further expand this.

Remember the rule I had mentioned earlier about multiplying exponents of the same base? Well, you can apply it here:

$\sqrt[7]{x^9}=\sqrt[7]{x^7*x^2}=x\sqrt[7]{x^2}$

Your final answer would be $x\sqrt[7]{x^2}$