Chapter 0: Problem 56
Simplify each exponential expression. $$ \left(10 x^{2}\right)^{-3} $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The simplified form of \((10x^2)^{-3}\) is: \(1/(1000x^{6})\).
Step by step solution
01
Break down the expression
First, separate the expression \((10x^2)^{-3}\) into \(10^{-3}\) and \((x^2)^{-3}\). This uses the rule of exponential multiplication, which states that \(a^m*b^m = (a*b)^m\).
02
Simplify terms with negative exponents
Next, simplify \(10^{-3}\) and \((x^2)^{-3}\). For \(10^{-3}\), it means the reciprocal of \(10^{3}\) or \(1/10^{3}\). For \((x^2)^{-3}\), again the rule of exponential multiplication is used to simplify it as \(x^{-6}\). A negative exponent means the reciprocal of the base, which is \(1/x^{6}\).
03
Write the final simplified expression
The final result is \(1/10^{3} * 1/x^{6}\), combining the result of step 2. Simplify it to get \(1/(10^{3} * x^{6})\) or \(1/(1000x^{6})\) by calculating \(10^{3}\) as 1000.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Negative Exponents
Negative exponents can seem a bit tricky at first, but they are pretty straightforward. When you see a negative exponent in an expression , it means that you have to take the reciprocal of the base. For example, if you have an expression like \( a^{-n} \), this is equivalent to \( \frac{1}{a^{n}} \). Think of the negative exponent as a way to "flip" the base into the denominator.
- \( 10^{-3} \) becomes \( \frac{1}{10^{3}} \)
- \( (x^2)^{-3} \) becomes \( \frac{1}{x^{6}} \) because \( x^{2} \) raised to \(-3\) power multiplies the exponents to give \( x^{(-3 \,\times\, 2)} \)
Simplifying Expressions
Simplifying expressions involves reducing them to their simplest form. This means getting rid of unnecessary parts and combining like terms.
Breaking down the expression \((10x^2)^{-3}\) means simplifying it step-by-step:
Breaking down the expression \((10x^2)^{-3}\) means simplifying it step-by-step:
- First, break it into smaller parts using the rules of exponents: \( 10^{-3} \) and \( (x^2)^{-3} \).
- Then, simplify each part using negative exponent rules: \( \frac{1}{10^3} \) and \( \frac{1}{x^6} \).
Exponential Multiplication
When it comes to exponential multiplication, it is important to understand that it involves applying multiplication rules to powers. This rule is foundational: the expression \( (a \cdot b)^m \) is equal to \( a^m \cdot b^m \).
This exercise used this concept:
This exercise used this concept:
- The expression \((10x^2)^{-3}\) was initially split into parts, \(10^{-3}\) and \((x^2)^{-3}\).
- Each part was then dealt with separately using the rules of multiplying exponents.
Reciprocal of a Base
In mathematics, the reciprocal of a base is a way to "invert" numbers. Simply put, if you have a base \(b\), its reciprocal is \(\frac{1}{b}\). In algebra, you'll often see reciprocals when dealing with negative exponents.
For example, consider the reciprocal relationships used in this exercise:
For example, consider the reciprocal relationships used in this exercise:
- \( 10^{-3} \) is equivalent to \( \frac{1}{10^{3}} \), meaning the reciprocal of \( 10 \) raised to the third power.
- \( (x^2)^{-3} \) transforms to \( \frac{1}{x^6} \), which shows the reciprocal of \( x^6 \).