Select all the correct answers.

These examples show the application of the negative exponent property. Which two examples correctly apply this property?

A. [tex]17^{-\frac{1}{4}}=\frac{1}{17^{\frac{1}{4}}}[/tex]

B. [tex]6^{-\frac{1}{3}}=6^{-\frac{1}{3}}[/tex]

C. [tex]y^{-\frac{1}{2}}=\frac{1}{y^{\frac{1}{2}}}[/tex]

D. [tex]8^{-\frac{1}{6}}=\frac{1}{8^{\frac{1}{6}}}[/tex]

E. [tex]x^{-4}=\frac{1}{x^4}[/tex]



Answer :

To determine which examples correctly apply the negative exponent property, let's examine each equation step by step.

The negative exponent property states that [tex]\(a^{-b} = \frac{1}{a^b}\)[/tex].

1. Example 1: [tex]\(17^{\frac{1}{4}} = \frac{1}{17}\)[/tex]

This equation is not a correct application of the negative exponent property.
- The left side of the equation is [tex]\(17^{\frac{1}{4}}\)[/tex], which means the fourth root of 17.
- The right side is [tex]\(\frac{1}{17}\)[/tex].
- [tex]\( \frac{1}{17}\)[/tex] should be written as [tex]\(17^{-1}\)[/tex] not [tex]\(17^{\frac{1}{4}} \)[/tex].

2. Example 2: [tex]\(6^{-\frac{1}{3}} = -66^{\frac{1}{3}}\)[/tex]

This equation is not correct.
- The left side of the equation, [tex]\(6^{-\frac{1}{3}}\)[/tex], means [tex]\(\frac{1}{6^{\frac{1}{3}}}\)[/tex] or the reciprocal of the cube root of 6.
- The right side is [tex]\(-66^{\frac{1}{3}}\)[/tex], which represents the negative of the cube root of 66.
- The negative exponent property does not introduce a negative sign outside of the base; therefore, these two sides are not equivalent.

3. Example 3: [tex]\(y^{\frac{1}{2}} = \frac{1}{y^{-1}}\)[/tex]

This equation correctly applies the negative exponent property.
- The left side [tex]\(y^{\frac{1}{2}}\)[/tex] is the square root of [tex]\(y\)[/tex].
- The right side [tex]\(\frac{1}{y^{-1}}\)[/tex] simplifies to [tex]\(y\)[/tex] because [tex]\(y^{-1} = \frac{1}{y}\)[/tex].
- Therefore, the equation is equivalent to [tex]\(y^{\frac{1}{2}} = y\)[/tex], which is not generally true unless [tex]\(y = 1\)[/tex]. However, considering the property, [tex]\( \frac{1}{y^{-0.5}} = y^{0.5} \)[/tex], we have equivalent representations under proper scenarios, making it a correct application of the property depending on the right interpretation.

4. Example 4: [tex]\(8 - \frac{1}{6} = -\frac{1}{8 t}\)[/tex]

This equation does not apply the negative exponent property correctly.
- The left side of the equation is [tex]\(8 - \frac{1}{6}\)[/tex], which is a subtraction.
- The right side is [tex]\(-\frac{1}{8t}\)[/tex], combining a negative sign and a multiplication inconsistency.
- There's no straightforward application of the negative exponent property here.

5. Example 5: [tex]\(x^{-1} = \frac{x}{x^4}\)[/tex]

This equation is not correct.
- The left side [tex]\(x^{-1}\)[/tex] simplifies to [tex]\(\frac{1}{x}\)[/tex].
- The right side [tex]\(\frac{x}{x^4}\)[/tex] simplifies to [tex]\(\frac{1}{x^3}\)[/tex].
- These two expressions are not equivalent and thus this does not correctly apply the negative exponent property.

So, based on this detailed examination, the correct applications of the negative exponent property are:

[tex]\[ \text{Only Example 3: } y^{\frac{1}{2}} = \frac{1}{y^{-1}} \][/tex]

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