Intro to Algebra, come inside please!

[Bob the Bastard]

Ok, so I forgot my notes and this review that is due tomorrow morning is fucking me up on 2 questions. (trying to get this done at work tonight) I don't want the answers, but rather a formula/advice on how to proceed if you have any idea.

For example- 2 peeps are 30 miles apart. start heading towards each other, one at 5mph the other at 8mph, how long till they meet.

I have no fucking clue....

Other thing is this, when something is to the negative power, you just flip it into a fraction, but I forgot exactly how. Say x to the negative 4th power. would it just be x to the 1/4? wtf is going on with that shit...

Please assist if you have the formula/knowledge necessary...

[Biggzy]

Ok, so I forgot my notes and this review that is due tomorrow morning is fucking me up on 2 questions. (trying to get this done at work tonight) I don't want the answers, but rather a formula/advice on how to proceed if you have any idea.

For example- 2 peeps are 30 miles apart. start heading towards each other, one at 5mph the other at 8mph, how long till they meet.

I have no fucking clue....

Other thing is this, when something is to the negative power, you just flip it into a fraction, but I forgot exactly how. Say x to the negative 4th power. would it just be x to the 1/4? wtf is going on with that shit...

Please assist if you have the formula/knowledge necessary...

I'm not sure about the first question but for the second it would be 1/x4 (one over x to the fourth power).

[Bob the Bastard]

YES!!! that is it. thanks man, I totally spaced on that. preciate it

[Etcetera]

With the first one, you know they arrive at the same time over the distance they need to travel, both distances are going to add up to 30 with the same time variable so the formula would look something like 5x+8x=30 and you solve for x for the time it takes.
and with negative power you can just get rid of the negative and put the entire thing under 1. So for example x^-4 becomes 1/(x^4).
Hope that helps.

[Bob the Bastard]

Good fucking deal, I appreciate the assist.

Shit on me for forgetting this..

Crap, another negative power sitch...

say parentheses, x to the -1, y to the 6th, parentheses, to the -2.

the only thing fucking me up there is the fraction inside the parentheses X ends up becoming, then creating a complex fraction when you apply the -2 to the equation inside the parentheses. Wouldn't be a prob, except that we aren't dealing with complex fractions this semester.....

[Etcetera]

say parentheses, x to the -1, y to the 6th, parentheses, to the -2.
If I am understanding this right it looks like ((x^-1)(y^6))^-2
Do the negation shit and you get 1/(((x^-1)(y^6))^2), after that, remember you can distribute that ^2 and you will get 1/((x^-2)(y^12)).
When you do the stuff for x^-2 to get 1/x^2, all you have to do then if set x^2 as the numerator now leading to x^2/y^12

edit: just realized I explained this crappy, remember that you can split the denominator keeping the numerator the same so 1/((1/x^2)(y^12)) becomes 1/(1/x^2)*1/(y^12) => (x^2)(1/(y^12)) => x^2/y^12

[Bob the Bastard]

So you are saying x squared over y to the 12th power?

[Etcetera]

So you are saying x squared over y to the 12th power?
yeah

[Shin Ace]

(x^-1*y^6)^-2

= 1/ ((x^-1 * y^6)^2)

= 1/ ((y^6/x)^2

= (x / y^6) ^2

And likewise:

5mph*time + 8mph*time = total distance covered.....you need to SEE it.

which becomes 5x + 8x = 30
13x = 30
x = 30/13

[Bob the Bastard]

Sweet, thanks for the kick start everyone. Done and Done, only had 35 problems for this review..

Next up, doing my review for finals (which is voluntary) so I can hopefully get an A on the final, even a high B will get me an A in the class though I think....

[Shin Ace]

The biggest secret is to not try everything...

just take a step back and word the problem your own way. As long as you can break it down into the terms you understand, you'll solve it easily. Otherwise, skip it and come back much later.

[Manx]

I hate math. I'ma steal math from the world and lock it up in a vault somewhere where no one will ever find it. That's right, I'll be Manx the thief who stole math from the world. Math sucks.

[Hwoarvang]

Math pisses me off. I know how to do the problems but the little algebraic stuff screwed me over big time. I usually end up plugging in wrong numbers or do the wrong operator.