Final answer:
The correct answer to the student's question is c) Power, multiplication, undefined. This is because division by zero is not defined in mathematics, and rational algebraic expressions must have non-zero denominators.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a rational algebraic expression, an exponent and a variable in both numerator and denominator. The denominator of the rational algebraic expression cannot be zero because a division of 0 is undefined or meaningless. Therefore, the correct answer is: c) Power, multiplication, undefined.
For instance, when dividing exponentials, the rule is to divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents of the exponential terms from the numerator exponent by the denominator exponent. However, it's crucial to remember that the value of any expression with a zero denominator is undefined as division by zero is not permissible in mathematics. Encountering such situations in an algebraic expression means you must exclude the values that make the denominator zero from the domain.