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Simplifying Fractions 3
Factoring quadratics
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Using Patterns to Multiply Two Binomials
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Solving Linear Inequalities
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Example 6
Dividing Monomials
Multiplication can Increase or Decrease a Number
Graphing Horizontal Lines
Simplification of Expressions Containing only Monomials
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Slope of a Line
Percent Introduced
Reducing Rational Expressions to Lowest Terms
The Hyperbola
Standard Form for the Equation of a Line
Multiplication by 75
Solving Quadratic Equations Using the Quadratic Formula
Raising a Product to a Power
Solving Equations with Log Terms on Each Side
Monomial Factors
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Division Property of Square and Cube Roots
Multiplying Two Numbers Close to but less than 100
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Equations of Circles
Percents and Decimals
Integral Exponents
Linear Equations - Positive and Negative Slopes
Multiplying Radicals
Factoring Special Quadratic Polynomials
Simplifying Rational Expressions
Adding and Subtracting Unlike Fractions
Graphuing Linear Inequalities
Linear Functions
Solving Quadratic Equations by Using the Quadratic Formula
Adding and Subtracting Polynomials
Adding and Subtracting Functions
Basic Algebraic Operations and Simplification
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Axis of Symmetry and Vertices
Factoring Polynomials with Four Terms
Evaluation of Simple Formulas
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Scientific Notation
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Horizontal and Vertical Lines
Solving Equations by Factoring
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Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions with Different Denominators
Adding and Subtracting Fractions
Solving Linear Equations
Simple Trinomials as Products of Binomials
Solving Nonlinear Equations by Factoring
Solving System of Equations
Exponential Functions
Computing the Area of Circles
The Standard Form of a Quadratic Equation
The Discriminant
Dividing Monomials Using the Quotient Rule
Squaring a Difference
Changing the Sign of an Exponent
Adding Fractions
Powers of Radical Expressions
Steps for Solving Linear Equations
Quadratic Expressions Complete Squares
Fractions 1
Properties of Negative Exponents
Factoring Perfect Square Trinomials
Algebra
Solving Quadratic Equations Using the Square Root Property
Dividing Rational Expressions
Quadratic Equations with Imaginary Solutions
Factoring Trinomials Using Patterns
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Changing the Sign of an Exponent

Because a-n and an are reciprocals of each other, we know that

So a negative exponent in the numerator or denominator can be changed to positive by relocating the exponential expression. In the next example we use these facts to remove negative exponents from exponential expressions.

 

Example 1

Simplifying expressions with negative exponents

Write each expression without negative exponents and simplify. All variables represent nonzero real numbers.

Solution

Rewrite division as multiplication.
  Change the signs of the negative exponents.
  Product rule: a3 · a2 = a5

Note that in 5a-3 the negative exponent applies only to a.

Rewrite as multiplication.
  Definition of negative exponent
  Simplify.

In Example 1 we showed more steps than are necessary. For instance, in part (b) we could simply write

Exponential expressions (that are factors) can be moved from numerator to denominator (or vice versa) as long as we change the sign of the exponent.

Caution

If an exponential expression is not a factor, you cannot move it from numerator to denominator (or vice versa). For example,

Because and 1-1 = 1, we get

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