My Math Forum Need help with simplifying rational exponent

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 January 24th, 2018, 06:27 PM #1 Newbie   Joined: Mar 2016 From: Atlanta Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Need help with simplifying rational exponent I have struggled for hours tonight attempting to eliminate a fractional exponent in the denominator. For instance, one problem has y^5/3 in the denominator. I have the correct answer so I know I am doing it incorrectly (since I am obviously getting the wrong answer). I thought I could simply multiply both the numerator and denominator by either y^3/5 or y^5/3. Neither method is working. I desperately need someone to tell me in a simple fashion how to get rid of the fractional exponent in the denominator. I am not asking for an answer to a problem, simply a method to remove the fractional exponent from the denominator. I would greatly appreciate an answer tonight as I have to turn this in tomorrow.
 January 24th, 2018, 06:50 PM #2 Senior Member   Joined: May 2016 From: USA Posts: 1,310 Thanks: 551 Please give the original problem completely and exactly plus YOUR WORK. How in the world do you expect anyone to find your mistake if we know neither the problem nor your attempted solution?
 January 24th, 2018, 07:37 PM #3 Global Moderator     Joined: Oct 2008 From: London, Ontario, Canada - The Forest City Posts: 7,934 Thanks: 1128 Math Focus: Elementary mathematics and beyond $$\frac{1}{y^{3/5}}=\frac{1}{y^{3/5}}\cdot\frac{y^{-3/5}}{y^{-3/5}}=y^{-3/5}$$ Last edited by greg1313; January 24th, 2018 at 11:35 PM.

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