Question

Marina correctly simplified the expression 5E3%7D%20" id="TexFormula1" title=" \frac{-4a^-^2b^4}{8a^-^6b^-^3} " alt=" \frac{-4a^-^2b^4}{8a^-^6b^-^3} " align="absmiddle" class="latex-formula">, Her simplifed expression is below.
$-1/2a^4b^?$
The exponent of the variable b in Marina’s solution should be what?

Answer 1

$\bf \cfrac{-4a^{-2}b^4}{8a^{-6}b^{-3}}$

so, in short, without too much fuss, you simply move the variable from the bottom to the top, and the exponent sign must change, or the other way around, from the top to the bottom, and the exponent sign changes

so   $\bf \cfrac{-4a^{-2}b^4}{8a^{-6}b^{-3}}\implies \cfrac{-4}{8}\cdot a^{-2}a^6b^4b^3\implies -\cfrac{1}{2}a^{-2+6}b^{4+3}\implies -\cfrac{1}{2}a^4b^7$

Answer 2

The answer is D: 7. Hope this helps!