Explain why you cannot use the rules of exponents to simplify (5^(6))/(3^(2))

Answer 1

The rules of exponents can only be used when the base of the exponent is the same. In this case, we have the expression (5^6)/(3^2). The base of the first exponent is 5 and the base of the second exponent is 3, so the rules of exponents cannot be directly applied to simplify this expression.