Division of Algebraic Terms with Powers (2)

This worksheet is about the division of algebraic terms with powers.

Example

 Simplify:

Answer

Remember what 10a³ and 15a² mean and divide them.

We get:    

Each a from the top of the fraction will cancel out with an a from the bottom.

However, we need not write out our method like this each time.

Remembering the rules of indices for division:

a^m ÷ aⁿ = a^m-n

In this example we would calculate a^3-2 = a¹ or a

This gives us

which reduces by dividing top and bottom by 5 to

Remember that we can use other letters than a when we write algebraic terms - and that these have to be alike to cancel each other out.