How do you simplify $-(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^5f^0)$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2017-03-05T12:23:35

See the entire simplification process below:

First, use this rule of exponents to eliminate the $f$ term: $a^color(red)(0) = 1$

$-(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^5f^color(red)(0)) = -(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^(5)1) = -(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^(5))$

Next, cancel like terms:

$-(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^(5)) = -(5c^2color(red)(cancel(color(black)(d^5))))/(8c color(red)(cancel(color(black)(d^(5))))) = -(5c^2)/(8c)$

Now, use these two rules for exponents to complete the simplification:

$a = a^color(blue)(1)$ or $a^color(blue)(1) = a$ and $x^color(red)(a)/x^color(blue)(b) = x^(color(red)(a)-color(blue)(b))$

$-(5c^2)/(8c) = -(5c^color(red)(2))/(8c^color(blue)(1)) = -(5c^(color(red)(2)-color(blue)(1)))/8 = -(5c^1)/8 = -(5c)/8$

How do you simplify -(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^5f^0)-(5c^2d^5)/(8cd^5f^0)?