How do you simplify $-3a * a^2$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2016-04-11T23:56:45

$-3 * a^(1+2) = -3 * a^3$ or just $-3a^3$

Since $a$ is a common base for the exponentiation, we must look it this way:

$-3 * a^1 * a^2$

To simplify it, just add the exponentiation from both bases(since both are "a", equal bases), like this:

$-3 * a^(1+2) = -3 * a^3$ or just $-3a^3$

How do you simplify -3a * a^2 -3a * a^2?