Basic Math Help

[The Fonz]

It's been a while since I was in school and it's showing, the simplest problems are throwing me off. If anyone could go thru these questions and show the step by step process I'd appreciate it:

1. (.01)^-3/2

2. (9/49)^3/2

3. (x^2 - 5x +12)^1/5 = 2^3/5

4. (x-6)^1/3

5. 16^-1/4

[RougeUnderoos]

Cheater.

If that's basic, I'm even dumber than I thought.

[JiriHrdina]

I can't even do long division anymore, let alone this hippy "new math" stuff.

[burn_this_city]

bedmas

brackets, exponents, divison, multiplication, addition, subtraction.. Just follow order of operations.

[BlackArcher101]

Put into a calculator? Solve for x in 3 & 4 and calculate value for the others?

[stang]

Yeah I think I could figure it out if I knew what ^ meant

Like burn this city said Bedmas

[The Fonz]

Teacher says a calculator is not necessary

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by stang

Yeah I think I could figure it out if I knew what ^ meant

Like burn this city said Bedmas

Frequently known as "to the power of" 6 squared would read as "6^2=36"

A fraction such as 1/2 would actually mean the square root.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by stang

Yeah I think I could figure it out if I knew what ^ meant

exponent.

ex)16^-1/4
= 16 to the power of -1/4

[V]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

It's been a while since I was in school and it's showing, the simplest problems are throwing me off. If anyone could go thru these questions and show the step by step process I'd appreciate it:

1. (.01)^-3/2 = 1/((0.01)^3/2) = 1/((sqrt(0.01))^3) = 1/(0.1^3) = 1/0.001 = 1,000

2. (9/49)^3/2 = (sqrt(9/49))^3 = (3/7)^3 = (3^3)/(7^3) = 27/343

3. (x^2 - 5x +12)^1/5 = 2^3/5 so x^2-5x+12 = 2^3 = 8 so x^2-5x+4 = 0 = (x-4)(x-1) therefore x = 4 or 1, either answer should work.

4. (x-6)^1/3 = I don't understand what this is asking...

5. 16^-1/4 = 1/(16^1/4)= 1/2 = 0.5

Here's a start for you...

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by V

Here's a start for you...

You're the man!

[V]

4x4 would disagree...

[The Fonz]

Ok, I've got another problem.

How do you factor (m-n)^2 - 36

[V]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Ok, I've got another problem.

How do you factor (m-n)^2 - 36

Say (m-n) = x

x^2 - 36 = (x-6)(x+6)

therefore you get ((m-n)-6)((m-n)+6) = (m-n-6)(m-n+6)

[The Fonz]

V to the rescue again!

I feel like an idiot after you answer my questions, they seem so simple once you explain it.

[Eddie Bronze]

It always seems easier when someone else does it for you. This doesn't just apply to mathematical equations.

[Phanuthier]

Fonz, whenever you see the numbers 0.01, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, 144 etc (for ^2 for 0.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) for this kind of this stuff, your first instinct should be find some way you can take the sq root, be it simplifying or difference of squares.

[V]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

V to the rescue again!

I feel like an idiot after you answer my questions, they seem so simple once you explain it.

How do you think I feel?? Not only am I posting on a messageboard, I'm doing math problems at the same time!!

What a nerd...

[GGG]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Ok, I've got another problem.

How do you factor (m-n)^2 - 36

That question is a classic Math Jerk question. All it is a simple factor of x^2 -y^2 but they try to trick you by throwing the m-n that they try to get you to expand and if you do that you get lost. Its questions like that why I did engineering instead of math

[Joborule]

I'm so screwed for university math...