Explain the product rule for exponents and the quotient rule for exponents in your own words.

1 answer

The product rule for exponents states that when you multiply two numbers with the same base, you can add the exponents together. For example, if you have x^a * x^b, you can simplify this to x^(a+b). This rule allows us to simplify expressions where we are multiplying numbers with the same base raised to different exponents.

The quotient rule for exponents states that when you divide two numbers with the same base, you can subtract the exponents. For example, if you have x^a / x^b, you can simplify this to x^(a-b). This rule helps us simplify expressions where we are dividing numbers with the same base raised to different exponents.