6-4 RATIONAL EXPONENTS Ms.

Miller

SIMPLIFYING EXPRESSIONS WITH RATIONAL

EXPONENTS
You can write a radical expression in an equivalent form using
fractional (rational) exponent instead of a radical sign

1
In general, n
x  x for any positive integer n
n
1 1 1
Examples: 36  36 2 3
64  64 3 4
16  16 4

Simplify each expression:

1 1 1
A) 64  64  8
2 B) 11 11
2 2
 11  11  11

1
RATIONAL EXPONENTS
m
If the nth root of a is a real number, m is an integer, and
n
is in lowest terms, then
 
1 m
m
a  a and a  n x m 
n n n n
x

Change the following expressions to radical form:

4 3
A) 2 y 5
 2 5 y 4 B) d 2  d3

Change the following expressions to exponential form

2 1 3
A) 3
w 2
w 3 B) ab 3
a b 2 2

PROPERTIES OF RATIONAL EXPONENTS

All the properties of integer exponents apply to rational exponents
PROPERTY EXAMPLE
2 1 2 1 3

m n
a a  a
m n
7 7  73 3 3 3
7 3 7
3

 a m   a mn  x 2  2  x3
n

 ab 
n
a b n n  x3 y3  3  xy
4
3
25
 2  5 23  5 8
m
a 5
n
 a mn 1
a 2 5

a a
n n  x5  5 x2
   n  10  
b b y  y4

2
TRY THESE
Simplify each radical
3 1 1 d d
   2
1 1
A) 12 3 183 B) d 2  3
2 d3 d d
d
 3 12  3 18

 3 216
6

SIMPLIFYING EXPRESSIONS
In section 6-2, we simplified products and quotients of radical
expressions that had the same index. We can combine radical
expressions with a different index if you change them to rational
exponents
 
1 1 2 1 3

Simplify: A) 3 4
3  3 3 2 4
3 4 4
3 4  4 27

3
9 4
B) x 3
x 2 
5
 2
x 6 6
x 6
 6 x5
3 2
x 3
x

3
 SIMPLIFYING EXPRESSIONS WITH RATIONAL
EXPONENTS
You can simplify a number or expression with rational exponents by
using properties of exponents or by converting to a radical
expression. 7
Simplify: 93.5  9 2
1
Method 1 – Change 7
Method 2 – Convert 
base to a power  3 2
 2
to radical form
7
92
7
2
3 2

1
7
3 97

1 1 1
  
37 2187 2187

HOMEWORK REVIEW
What is the simplest form of:
1
8
40) 9
y3 y 3 1 9
 1 1 1 3 y 3 y
 9
y 3 3
y 3
 8
    3
3
y9 3 3
3
y8 y2 3 y2 3 y y
y y

1 12
63)  x3  4 65)  14  1
12
1
 1    x 4  4  x 1  1  x  x 4
x3
 3    9  x3 y 9
x  x y4 
3
12 y
  y 4

4
HOMEWORK REVIEW
What is the simplest form of: 1 1
1
44) 18  12  3  2  3  2
4 4 2 1 1 2
45) 6 6 6 6 2 2 2
  1
 2

36 3  6 
3 1
2 1 1 2 1 1 36 2 3
63
 3  2  3  2  3  3  2  21
4 4 2 1 4 2 4

1
1
 3  2  21  6 4 2
1 3 4 6
4  1 7776
6 6 6
6 6  6

6 6

6-4 REVIEW
Simplify: 5 2
2
2 1 1
1 1 x x 5 

8 x   x x 5x
5 5 5
A) 15 3
 8 x 5
3 B) 10 2 2
x 10
x
1 1 1
3  5  5
8 x 2x

1 1 3 3
C) 5  45 2 2 D) 16x  8 4
 16 x 64

5  45  5  3  15
 
2 2
3
4
16 8
 
x6 x6