81^1/2=

16^3/4=

25^3/2=


These questions are examples of work I have to... I am lost questions they gave us are
125^1/3 = 3(looks like division box with little sqiggly curve)125
= 3(looks like division box with little sqiggly curve)5^3
= with the final answer being 5


how is this possible please explain:confused:

Rational exponents are also referred to as roots.

In the first case, you have 81^(1/2). This is simply the square root of 81, which is 9. We know this because 9^2 is 81.

125^(1/3) is the cube root of 125... the answer is 5, because 5^3 = 5*5*5 = 125.

For exponents with a numerator other than 1, you can solve them in two parts:

16^(3/4) = (16^1/4)^(3)
16^(1/4) = 2 (since 2^4 = 2*2*2*2 = 16)
2^3 = 2*2*2 = 8