Which property of exponents was used to generate the equivalent expression 3(14) from 3(5)/3(−9)

?(1 point)
Responses

only the Power Rule of Exponents
only the Power Rule of Exponents

only the Property of Negative Exponents
only the Property of Negative Exponents

only the Product Rule of Exponents
only the Product Rule of Exponents

the Property of Negative Exponents and the Product Rule of Exponents

1 answer

To simplify \( \frac{3(5)}{3(-9)} \) to arrive at \( 3(14) \), we can analyze how to handle the exponents:

  1. Power Rule of Exponents: This rule states that \( a^m \times a^n = a^{m+n} \). However, this is not directly applicable here since we are dealing with separate bases.

  2. Property of Negative Exponents: This property states that \( a^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n} \). It's not applicable to the simplification in this case either.

  3. Product Rule of Exponents: This property states that \( a^m \cdot a^n = a^{m+n} \), which is not applicable in reaching from the fraction to the multiplied form directly because of separate bases.

In fact, the transformation from \( \frac{3(5)}{3(-9)} \) involves recognizing that the \( 3 \) in both the numerator and denominator can cancel out, a crucial step in the simplification process.

The best option that describes the situation given is:

the Property of Negative Exponents and the Product Rule of Exponents

This choice indicates that we notice the relationship and manipulate the bases accordingly while recognizing across the properties used.