## exponents: Why is 3^4 divided by 3^7 equal to 1/27?

Simple patterns, variables, the order of operations, simplification, evaluation, linear equations and graphs, etc.

### exponents: Why is 3^4 divided by 3^7 equal to 1/27?

Note: Exponents are in bold blue.
for my question, the answer is 1/27. The problem tells you to evaluate 3 4 divided by 3 7. I keep getting the answer wrong. Can someone tell me why its 1/27?
Yoru111

Posts: 1
Joined: Wed May 13, 2009 9:09 pm

To learn how to format things like powers, try here.

To learn how to simplify expressions with exponents, try here.

Since you haven't shown your steps, there is no way to determine where you might have gone wrong. But you might want to consider using the definition of exponents to help keep track of what's going on.

. . . . .$\frac{3^4}{3^7}\, =\, \frac{3\, \times\, 3\, \times\,3\, \times\,3}{3\, \times\,3\, \times\,3\, \times\,3\, \times\,3\, \times\,3\, \times\,3}$

Cancel off the common factors. How many 3's do you have left over? Where are they? What is the value of the simplified result?

stapel_eliz

Posts: 1720
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:22 pm