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# What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)?

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Intern
Joined: 18 Oct 2014
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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)? [#permalink]

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29 Jan 2015, 20:47
It would make it much clearer if you edited the original question to indicate for statement two "a * b^(-1)". I got confused and thought the whole term ab was taken to the negative first power.

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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)? [#permalink]

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30 Jan 2015, 06:04
Derkus wrote:
It would make it much clearer if you edited the original question to indicate for statement two "a * b^(-1)". I got confused and thought the whole term ab was taken to the negative first power.

In this case it would be (ab)^(-1), not ab^(-1). Still edited.
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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)? [#permalink]

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30 Jan 2015, 06:06
cg0588 wrote:
Hi Bunuel - can you explain why ab^(-1)=6^(-1) yields b/a = 6?

$$a*b^{(-1)}=6^{(-1)}$$;

$$a*\frac{1}{b}=\frac{1}{6}$$;

$$\frac{a}{b}=\frac{1}{6}$$;

$$\frac{b}{a}=6$$.

Hope it's clear.
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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)? [#permalink]

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30 Jan 2015, 14:56
Bunuel - thanks for the crystal clear explanation!

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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)? [#permalink]

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10 Feb 2016, 07:13
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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)? [#permalink]

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01 Aug 2017, 02:48
From statement 1, I assumed that a=1 and b =6 which makes ab=36 and said that the statement is sufficient. Such assumption is wrong because the statement clearly says that the power of a has to be 2 and the power of b has to be 3 . Am I correct??

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Re: What is the value of a^(-2)*b^(-3)?   [#permalink] 01 Aug 2017, 02:48

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