Help with a hard to categorize grade 12 math questiom

What are the instructions? What topic is this meant to exercise? And does the expression look exactly like this, [MATH](−10,077,696) \frac{1}{9}[/MATH], or perhaps like this, [MATH](−10,077,696)^{\frac{1}{9}}[/MATH]?

If neither is exactly it, then what is different?
 
Dr.Peterson said:
What are the instructions? What topic is this meant to exercise? And does the expression look exactly like this, [MATH](−10,077,696) \frac{1}{9}[/MATH], or perhaps like this, [MATH](−10,077,696)^{\frac{1}{9}}[/MATH]?

If neither is exactly it, then what is different?
Click to expand...
Exactly as the former.
 
Oh and thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help in something so insignificant to anyone except me. I'm at a delicate point in re-learning. I was great at math at one time. Favorite subject.
 
GoatOtis said:
Exactly as the former.
Click to expand...

Hi GoatOtis. In arithmetic class, we learn the symbol × means multiplication. Beginning in prealgebra (or algebra, for some), we learn that × is no longer used to show multiplication (in general) because it looks too much like the letter x (which is used everyday in algebra to represent a number). Instead of × to show multiplication, we have other conventions. One of those uses parentheses. For example:

(18) 1/9
18 (1/9)
(18)(1/9)

Each of those expressions means \(18 × \frac{1}{9}\), and the same convention is used in your exercise.

(−10,077,696) 1/9 \(\;\) means \(\; −10077696 \;×\; \frac{1}{9}\)

Also, multiplying a number by one-ninth is the same as dividing the number by nine. The following example shows why. When we do multiplication with fractions, the rule is "numerator times numerator OVER denominator times denominator". (We write a Whole number as a fraction by putting it over 1.)

\(\displaystyle 18 × \frac{1}{9}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{18}{1} × \frac{1}{9}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{18 × 1}{1 × 9}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{18}{9}\)

Therefore, (−10,077,696) 1/9 \(\;\) is the same as \(\; \frac{−10077696}{9}\)

The final rule we need concerns arithmetic with signed numbers: A negative number divided (or multiplied) by a positive number yields a negative result. Or, said another way, if you multiply or divide two numbers whose signs are different (i.e., one is positive and one is negative), then the result must be negative.

Putting it all together, you need to divide 10077696 by 9, and then write the answer as a negative number.

Questions?

?
 
What I find odd is that if the 1/9 is an exponent (my second option), then the problem would be nicer than if it is not! But you'd need a scientific calculator to solve that problem.

I'd still like to see an image of the original.
 
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