Exponents

[troublemaker676]

The instructions say to simplify each expression.

2^-1/ 2^-5

Now it says the answer is 16, how do you get this?

 

[Gene]

Making the exponents positive by moving them to the other side of the / gives
2^5/2^1 = 2^4

 

[soroban]

Hello, troublemaker676!

Simplify: \(\displaystyle \;\frac{2^{-1}}{2^{-5}}\)

Do you even know what a negative exponent means?

The very least you could do is: \(\displaystyle \L\;\frac{\frac{1}{2^1}}{\frac{1}{2^5}} \:=\:\frac{\frac{1}{2}}{\frac{1}{32}} \:=\:\frac{1}{2}\,\div\,\frac{1}{32}\:=\:\frac{1}{2}\,\times\,\frac{32}{1}\:=\:16\)