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Simplifying and Using the Negative Exponent Definition
Apply the negative exponent definition to two expressions with variable bases — one involving a simple variable and one involving a power raised to a negative power. All variables are assumed to be nonzero.
ⓐ : The base is the variable and the exponent is . Apply the definition : rewrite as . The procedure is identical to the one used with numerical bases — the negative exponent moves the variable into the denominator and changes the exponent to positive.
ⓑ : The base is the expression and the outer exponent is . First apply the negative exponent definition: . Then apply the Power Property for Exponents to simplify the denominator — multiply the exponents: . The result is .
Part (a) confirms that the negative exponent definition works the same way for variables as it does for numbers. Part (b) shows how negative exponents and the Power Property combine: the negative exponent moves the expression to the denominator, and then the Power Property simplifies the power of a power.
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A technician is reviewing a technical manual for a power distribution system where efficiency factors are expressed using negative exponents. Match each algebraic expression with its simplified equivalent form.
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A maintenance technician is updating a technical log that uses the variable expression , where is a non-zero value. To make the log easier for the team to read, the technician needs to simplify the expression using only positive exponents. Arrange the following steps in the correct order to reach the final simplified form based on the standard definitions.
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A quality control technician is documenting a material stress variance expressed as . According to the negative exponent definition, which of the following is the correct equivalent form that the technician should use to rewrite this expression with a positive exponent?
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