Which of the following is equal to 10^[-(-3)]^2?
a. 1/10^9
b. 1/10^6
c. 1/10^3
d. 10^6
e. 10^9
exponent rule
This topic has expert replies
- mdavidm_531
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:12 am
- Thanked: 10 times
method of attack:
PEMDAS
1. begin with [-(-3)] = 3
2. so it becomes 10^(3^2)
3. then it becomes 10 ^ 9
Answer: E
PEMDAS
1. begin with [-(-3)] = 3
2. so it becomes 10^(3^2)
3. then it becomes 10 ^ 9
Answer: E
- mdavidm_531
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:12 am
- Thanked: 10 times
- Bill@VeritasPrep
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:57 pm
- Location: Everywhere
- Thanked: 503 times
- Followed by:192 members
- GMAT Score:780
Depends on the parentheses:fangtray wrote:I thought A^b^c = A^bc?
(a^b)^c = a^bc
a^(b)^c = a^(b^c)
Join Veritas Prep's 2010 Instructor of the Year, Matt Douglas for GMATT Mondays
Visit the Veritas Prep Blog
Try the FREE Veritas Prep Practice Test
Visit the Veritas Prep Blog
Try the FREE Veritas Prep Practice Test
- tomada
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:36 am
- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Thanked: 23 times
- Followed by:4 members
- GMAT Score:740
I see that the parentheses comes first, so we get 10^3^2, but I don't see why this becomes 10^(3^2) instead of (10^3)^2.
The negative of -3 is the only term within brackets, so both the "10^" and "^2" operations are outside of the term in parentheses/brackets.
With operations at the same level, doesn't the first such operation - reading from left to right - occur first?
The negative of -3 is the only term within brackets, so both the "10^" and "^2" operations are outside of the term in parentheses/brackets.
With operations at the same level, doesn't the first such operation - reading from left to right - occur first?
I'm really old, but I'll never be too old to become more educated.
-
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 273
- Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:50 am
- Thanked: 5 times
- Followed by:3 members
what if there were no parenthesis...we've worked on many problems where simplying the exponent was just to multiple it..Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Depends on the parentheses:fangtray wrote:I thought A^b^c = A^bc?
(a^b)^c = a^bc
a^(b)^c = a^(b^c)
for example a^b^c 2^3^4 = 2^81? or 2^12..
how am i just finding out about this now..haha... i've done like so many problems involving simplifying exponents and multiplying the exponents was right, and i've ALWAYS multiplied the exponents in the problems.. i think this is the first problem i've come across that requires me to do it differently.