Subtracting Indices

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The following diagram shows how to divide exponents by subtracting indices. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions for dividing exponents.

Divide Exponents

When dividing numbers in exponent notation with the same base, we subtract the exponents.

Consider:

Text Box: a5 ÷ a2 = = = a3

This is the second law of exponents:

Example:

Simplify the following expressions, giving your answers in exponent form

Text Box: a) 43 ÷ 42 b) y8 ÷ y6 c) d) p5 ÷ p3 ÷ p

Solution:

Text Box: a) 43 ÷ 42 = 43–2 = 41 = 4 b) y8 ÷ y6 = y8–6 = y2 c) d)

Common Error : The second law of exponent does NOT apply to subtraction of numbers in exponent notation.

The following video shows more examples of subtraction of exponents:

Subtracting Exponents

Show Step-by-step Solutions

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