Final answer:
To simplify the expression y⁻⁵ * y⁸, add the exponents together, resulting in y³. This applies the exponent rule for multiplication, which results in a final answer with a positive exponent.
Step-by-step explanation:
When we have an expression where the same base is being multiplied with different exponents, such as y⁻⁵ * y⁸, we can simplify the expression by adding the exponents together. The rule for multiplying exponents states that am × an = am+n, where 'a' is the base and 'm' and 'n' are the exponents. Therefore, we apply this rule to the expression y⁻⁵ * y⁸.
Add the exponents:
- y⁻⁵ * y⁸ = y⁻⁵+⁸
- y⁻⁵ * y⁸ = y³
Since we want the answer with a positive exponent, we arrive at y³, which is the final simplified expression with a positive exponent.