# Math question (exponent variables) **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [January 27, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520 "2008-01-27T15:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/1 "2008-01-27T15:33:07Z")
Just want to make sure I’m doing this right, I’m sure they’re a few of you who can help… Simplify: 20b^10 * * * 10b^20 My answer: 2 \_\_\_\_ b^10 (i used ^ to show to the power of) I know this is simple but I just want to make sure I’m doing it right…funny that i’m asking math questions on NYSPEED,but there is a lot of smart people on here ---
**Author:** ![BOBBYGRV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BOBBYGRV](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BOBBYGRV)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/2 "2008-01-27T15:38:58Z")
> [@sedlmeier101"](#): > > I know this is simple but I just want to make sure I’m doing it right…funny that i’m asking math questions on NYSPEED,but there is a lot of smart people on here are you serious? ---
**Author:** ![fairgentleman\_Z](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fairgentleman_z/32/7263_2.png) [@fairgentleman\_Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fairgentleman_Z)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/3 "2008-01-27T15:43:23Z")
I don’t understand the use of underline, are you trying to write: (20b^10)/(10b^20) ? Is “b” an unkown variable? Or is it some mathmatical expression? ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/4 "2008-01-27T15:43:58Z")
> [@bobbyg1243](#): > > are you serious? i’m sure 30% of the people on here have went through college math within 2 years ago so it should be fresh in their heads, better than spending a half hour looking for answers somewhere else ---
**Author:** ![BOBBYGRV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BOBBYGRV](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BOBBYGRV)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/5 "2008-01-27T15:46:01Z")
:picard: :sarcasm: ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/6 "2008-01-27T15:47:21Z")
> [@fairgentleman Z](#): > > I don’t understand the use of underline, are you trying to write: > > (20b^10)/(10b^20) ? > > Is “b” an unkown variable? Or is it some mathmatical expression? yeah, I guess I shoulda wrote that ^ b is just a variable. ---
**Author:** ![fairgentleman\_Z](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fairgentleman_z/32/7263_2.png) [@fairgentleman\_Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fairgentleman_Z)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/7 "2008-01-27T15:52:15Z")
I get: (20b^10)/(10b^20) = ((1.024 x 10^13)_(b^10))/((10 x 10^19)_(b^20)) = (1.02400 x 10-7)\*(b^-10) But I don’t have a calculator and just using the desktop. Works out when replacing “b” with 5 in both the original equation and the solution. Checked with “b” = 3 as well. ---
**Author:** ![IntegLS94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecd19e/32.png) [@IntegLS94](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/IntegLS94)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/8 "2008-01-27T15:58:50Z")
yes the answer is 2 ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/9 "2008-01-27T16:01:01Z")
my answer would come from dividing 20 by 10…giving me 2. and then subtracting 20 from 10 which would give me b^-10 but the answer has to have a positive exponent so I would do the inverse which would equal 2/b^10 ---
**Author:** ![turbofreak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/turbofreak/32/5197_2.png) [@turbofreak](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/turbofreak)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/10 "2008-01-27T16:28:26Z")
u in high school? ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/11 "2008-01-27T16:30:03Z")
> [@turbofreak](#): > > u in high school? Nah, but it’s review and I’ve been away from math for like 3 years ---
**Author:** ![fairgentleman\_Z](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fairgentleman_z/32/7263_2.png) [@fairgentleman\_Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fairgentleman_Z)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/12 "2008-01-27T16:44:05Z")
wait, are you doing 20b^10 as in (20b)^10 or 20\*(b^10)? ---
**Author:** ![turbofreak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/turbofreak/32/5197_2.png) [@turbofreak](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/turbofreak)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/13 "2008-01-27T17:12:21Z")
oh i was gonna say ---
**Author:** ![RedGoober4Life](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/redgoober4life/32/7610_2.png) [@RedGoober4Life](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RedGoober4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/14 "2008-01-27T17:23:50Z")
> [@sedlmeier101](#): > > my answer would come from dividing 20 by 10…giving me 2. > > and then subtracting 20 from 10 which would give me b^-10 but the answer has to have a positive exponent so I would do the inverse which would equal > > 2/b^10 [http://www.algebralab.org/lessons/lesson.aspx?file=Algebra\_ExponentsRules.xml](http://www.algebralab.org/lessons/lesson.aspx?file=Algebra_ExponentsRules.xml) Well, that is a negative exponent. But your answer is correct. I don’t know what race car driver dude is doing. ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/15 "2008-01-27T17:44:17Z")
> [@RedGoober4Life](#): > > [Rules of Exponents](http://www.algebralab.org/lessons/lesson.aspx?file=Algebra_ExponentsRules.xml) > > Well, that is a negative exponent. > > But your answer is correct. > > I don’t know what race car driver dude is doing. Thanks, Yeah I think he was reading way to far into it. Just had to simplify the problem, but thanks RedGoober! ---
**Author:** ![RedGoober4Life](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/redgoober4life/32/7610_2.png) [@RedGoober4Life](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RedGoober4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/16 "2008-01-27T17:56:29Z")
Yeah. He’s showing off. ---
**Author:** ![FightinMike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@FightinMike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FightinMike)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/math-question-exponent-variables/42520/17 "2008-01-27T20:47:33Z")
> [@fairgentleman Z](#): > > wait, are you doing 20b^10 as in (20b)^10 or 20\*(b^10)? haha, associativity of multiplication…They’re the same thing.