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When asked to "evaluate" an expression,
you are most likely being asked to find a numerical value. You should
not stop until you arrive at the best, and simplest,
form for the answer. Before we go any further, refresh
your memory on the rules which apply to working with exponents:
R e m e m b e r !
... exponent rules work with BOTH integers and fractions!!
Look carefully at the following
problem. Can you see the exponent rules at work? Pay
particular attention to what is considered the "best" final answer.
When evaluating expressions, don't lose valuable points on an exam question
(that you most
likely could answer easily) because you did not express the answer in
its "best" form.
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Evaluate this expression: |
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Is this the answer? |
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No. To evaluate means to arrive
at the simplest numerical answer possible. |
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The answer must now be simplified further. |
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Now that's
an answer!! |
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Did you notice in the last step of this example, how
our rule  was applied in slightly
different manner? Notice how
 was written as
 and not as
 .
Often times it is easier to investigate the root first. Our
rule can also be written as:
Check out how these problems are evaluated using the Rules of
Exponents:
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Problem: |
Answer: |
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Evaluate:
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Evaluate:  |
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If a = 8, find the value
of:
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