Question on exponents and roots...

[FrogDog]

In my pre-calc class we have to simplify fractional exponents. So if it was 9 to the power of 3/5 I'd have to solve the 5th root of 9 to the power of 3. Now my teacher explained how this is done on a calculator but I can't remember the buttons 🙁

Little help?

Edit - It makes sence now 🙂

 

[eakers]

2 ways of many:
1. if you have an x^y button enter 9 button 3/5
2. if you have an xroot button enter 5root9^3 or 5root729

um i hope that helps, keep in mind some calculators have you input backwards.

*kat.

 

[FrogDog]

Doh. I have the first button and tried it and still can't get my answers to match up with the ones in the back of my book. 🙁

 

[FrogDog]

Although I think it's because of the way I'm entering the fraction...when I put 9, x^y 3/5, I get 9^3 divided by 5.

 

[FrogDog]

OK, maybe if I asked this question: How do I take the root of something that isn't the square root?

 

[Napalm381]

1. Put the "3/5" in parentheses: 9 x^y (3/5).
2. Use decimals, i.e. 9 x^y 0.6.

 

[DataFly]

On any TI (AFAIK) just press 9^(3/5) (buttons [9] [^] [(] [3] [/] [5] [)] )🙂


Edit: Ack...napalm beat me to it.🙂

 

[beer]

On my TI89 in Precal I can see everything like it appears on paper, thanks to pretty print 🙂

 

[Tominator]

It's mutch easier if you do it by longhand.😕

 

[FrogDog]

Especially when you don't have a TI-##. Unfortuneitly I can't do it long hand. 🙁

 

[Napalm381]

Have you tried the Windows scientific calculator? It ain't half bad. 9^3/5 = 3.73.

 

[FrogDog]

I get 145.8 when I do that...

 

[Napalm381]

9^(3/5)

Didn't you read what we posted above? Parentheses, parentheses, parentheses.

 

[FrogDog]

Yeah I know. But my calculator doesn't have them. 🙁 And I know there's a way to do it with my calculator because I've done it before. God damnit..

 

[Pretender]

(9^3)^(1/5) should work