ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos


Pre-Algebra Videos 217 videos

Compound Interest
45304 Views

Who wants to be a millionaire? In this video, learn about compound interest, interest rates, and the compound interest formula. You'll be buying th...

ACT Math 5.2 Pre-Algebra
1939 Views

ACT Math: Pre-Algebra Drill 5, Problem 2. If a and b are prime numbers, how many factors does ab have?

SAT Math 4.3 Numbers and Operations
2174 Views

SAT Math 4.3 Numbers and Operations

See All

ACT Math 4.3 Pre-Algebra 371 Views


Share It!


Description:

ACT Math: Pre-Algebra Drill 4, Problem 3. Simplify the expression.

Language:
English Language

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?

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 3.1 Plane Geometry
2559 Views

ACT Math: Plane Geometry Drill 3, Problem 1. What is the area of the trapezoid shape in the video?

Inequalities in Number Lines
3230 Views

ACT Math: Coordinate Geometry Drill 1, Problem 1. Which inequality is expressed by the number line?

ACT Math 3.1 Intermediate Algebra
1955 Views

ACT Math: Intermediate Algebra: Drill 3, Problem 1. Find the fifth number in the series.

Operations with Rational Expressions
8687 Views

It's impressive that these expressions are able to stay so rational even when they're having operations performed on them.

Numbers and Operations: Elementary Number Theory
606 Views

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…