Final answer:
The correct answer is a) Radicals are a different way of expressing rational exponents, where radicals can be converted into exponent notation using fractional exponents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is option a) Radicals are a different way of expressing rational exponents. Radicals, such as the square root of a number, can be expressed using exponents with fractional powers. For example, the square root of a number x (written as √x) is the same as x raised to the power of 1/2 (written as x1/2). This relationship demonstrates how exponents and radicals are two ways of expressing the same mathematical operation, and thus, they are directly related.
In general, the nth root of a number x can be written as x raised to the power of 1/n. This demonstrates a uniform method to convert between radical notation and exponent notation. Furthermore, the rules for exponents apply to radicals as well, as they are essentially the same mathematical concept. For instance, when multiplying two powers with the same base, you add the exponents, and this applies to radicals represented with rational exponents too.