- #1
Gregory.gags
- 31
- 2
Okay, I'm doing an advanced functions course online to get into Physics for university. I got this question in the exponents section...
(2x3y7)5/(2x2y5)7
Intuition (BEDMAS) tells me to divide out what's IN the brackets (2/2 , x3/x2 , y7/y5) , and then the exponents outside the brackets (5/7 I know this doesn't make that much sense now that I think back to it...) So I looked at the answer and what I should have done, but what I don't understand is WHY i am supposed to START with the exponents (on the outside) INSTEAD of dividing what's inside the brackets, doesn't that go against BEDMAS? This may sound quite silly to someone who has a natural understanding of numbers but i can't see the logic behind it ( other than that you can't divide 5 by 7 :P )
(2x3y7)5/(2x2y5)7
Intuition (BEDMAS) tells me to divide out what's IN the brackets (2/2 , x3/x2 , y7/y5) , and then the exponents outside the brackets (5/7 I know this doesn't make that much sense now that I think back to it...) So I looked at the answer and what I should have done, but what I don't understand is WHY i am supposed to START with the exponents (on the outside) INSTEAD of dividing what's inside the brackets, doesn't that go against BEDMAS? This may sound quite silly to someone who has a natural understanding of numbers but i can't see the logic behind it ( other than that you can't divide 5 by 7 :P )