Question

What is `(-5y^5 + 7y^4) -: (-y)`?

Answer 1

`5y^4-7y^3`

Explanation:

When dividing exponents, it is just subtraction. The `-y` is actually `-y^1`. Since the numerator has the same variable and nothing is being multiplied or divided in it, we can just subtract `1` from each exponent.

`-5y^5` would just be `-5y^4` and `7y^4` would become `7y^3`.

Now the denominator is not gone. The `y` is gone, but there is still a `-1` there. All this means is you need to switch the signs up top. The final simplified solution would be

`5y^4-7y^3`