D) 12
This question looks impossible because the bases (3 and 27) are different, so
we can’t apply our exponent rules. What we need to realize is that 27 can be
rewritten as 3^3.
So our answer is C.NEGATIVE AND FRACTIONAL EXPONENTS
x–1, y½, z–⅔
Are you trembling in mortal terror? Don’t. Negative and fractional exponents
look annoyingly complicated, but they’re not.
Annoying? Maybe. Complicated? No way.
—Samantha
To make sense of a negative exponent, simply rewrite the number as a
fraction with 1 on top, and flip the sign of the exponent. Like so:
Example: 2x –2 = ?
You should immediately flip it upside down:Fractional exponents are even easier. Just remember this: