Example

Simplifying r5r4\frac{r^5}{r^{-4}} Using the Quotient Property with a Negative Exponent

Simplify r5r4\frac{r^5}{r^{-4}} by applying the Quotient Property for Exponents when the denominator has a negative exponent.

Start with the expression r5r4\frac{r^5}{r^{-4}}.

  1. Apply the Quotient Property. Both the numerator and denominator share the base rr. Subtract the denominator exponent from the numerator exponent using aman=amn\frac{a^m}{a^n} = a^{m-n}: r5r4=r5(4)\frac{r^5}{r^{-4}} = r^{5 - (-4)}.

  2. Simplify the exponent. Subtracting a negative number is equivalent to adding its opposite: 5(4)=5+4=95 - (-4) = 5 + 4 = 9. The expression becomes r9r^9.

The result is r9r^9. When the Quotient Property is applied to a fraction whose denominator has a negative exponent, the subtraction mnm - n involves subtracting a negative value, which increases the resulting exponent. This is why r5r4\frac{r^5}{r^{-4}} produces a larger exponent (99) than either the numerator exponent (55) or the absolute value of the denominator exponent (44). The key arithmetic skill is correctly handling subtraction of a negative integer.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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