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What is the value of the expression below?

(-8) ^ 5/3

A. 40/3
B. - 40/3
C. -32
D. 32

What is the value of the expression below? (-8) ^ 5/3 A. 40/3 B. - 40/3 C. -32 D. 32-example-1
User Hitesh Bhalala
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1 Answer

29 votes
29 votes

Answer:

C. -32

Explanation:

Using the rule of exponents for a power of a power, we can simplify the expression like this:

(-8)^(5/3) = ((-8)^(1/3))^5 = (-2)^5 = -32

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A suitable calculator can evaluate this for you.

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Additional comment

Some calculators use logarithms to compute powers. The logarithm of a negative number is undefined, so direct computation of this expression would give an error on such a device. You would have to recognize that the root and power are odd, so the result will be negative. Then you could calculate -(8^(5/3)) without error.

The rule of exponents used here is ...

(a^b)^c) = a^(bc)

User Genespos
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