Question

How do you simplify `\frac { 54p ^ { 2} } { - 63p }`?

Answer 1

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

First, rewrite the expression as:

`(-54/63)(p^2/p) = > (-(9 xx 6)/(9 xx 7))(p^2/p) =>`

`(-(color(red)(cancel(color(black)(9))) xx 6)/(color(red)(cancel(color(black)(9))) xx 7))(p^2/p) => -6/7(p^2/p)`

Now, use these rules of exponents to simplify the `p` terms:

`a = a^color(red)(1)` and `x^color(red)(a)/x^color(blue)(b) = x^(color(red)(a)-color(blue)(b))` and `a^color(red)(1) = a`

`-6/7(p^2/p) => -6/7(p^color(red)(2)/p^color(blue)(1)) = -6/7p^(color(red)(2)-color(blue)(1)) =>`

`-6/7p^1 => -6/7p`

Or

`-(6p)/7`