ShmoopTube
Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.
Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos
Playlist ACT® Pre-Algebra 34 videos
ACT Math: Pre-Algebra Drill 2, Problem 1. Solve for x in this equation.
ACT Math: Pre-Algebra Drill 4, Problem 3. Simplify the expression.
ACT Math 4.3 Pre-Algebra 371 Views
Share It!
Description:
ACT Math: Pre-Algebra Drill 4, Problem 3. Simplify the expression.
Transcript
- 00:03
Let's all hold hands and shmoop together...
- 00:06
Simplify a to the 2x power times a to the negative 2x power.
- 00:11
And here are the potential answers...
- 00:17
This question tests really one thing:
- 00:18
Do we realize that we can just add or subtract exponents when the bases are the same in a problem?
Full Transcript
- 00:25
So here we have a to the 2x times a to the NEGATIVE 2x.
- 00:31
And we are adding the exponents... so in America... 2x minus 2x is ...what?
- 00:38
Yep. Zilch. Zip. Nada.
- 00:41
So what's a to the ... zero power?
- 00:43
Well, by definition -- any number to the zero power is ...1.
- 00:46
So a to the zero is 1, and the answer is B.
- 00:49
As in, "Base running."
Related Videos
ACT Math: Plane Geometry Drill 3, Problem 1. What is the area of the trapezoid shape in the video?
ACT Math: Coordinate Geometry Drill 1, Problem 1. Which inequality is expressed by the number line?
ACT Math: Intermediate Algebra: Drill 3, Problem 1. Find the fifth number in the series.
It's impressive that these expressions are able to stay so rational even when they're having operations performed on them.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. But what happened when they got up there? They’ve been gone an awfully long time…