Math help.. X.x

So ive been out sick for a few days, and my dad got me some work. But i have no idea how to do parts of it. He is one im stuck on..
Simplify this:
(-3x^4y^3)^3

 

Umm... What's the question?

 

if its supposed to be the quantity of negative 3x raised to the 4y-cubed cubed, then the first step is to apply the outside exponent on the inside, giving you -3x^12y^3, thats all we can do without knowing what x or y is

 

What math is this?

 

-27x^12y^9

just multiply the exponents by 3

 

When something with an exponent has another exponent, as in this case, you multiply the exponents together. If you had something like this on the other hand, you would add the exponents:

x^3 * 2x^5 = 2x^8

Here is the answer to your problem:

(-3x^4 * y^3)^3

So you distribute the exponent of 3 to each term within the parenthesis.
(-3x^4)^3 * (y^3)^3

Then you multiply the exponents.
-3x^12 * y^9

 

(-3x^4y^3)^3
= (-3x^12y)^3
= (-3x)^36y

According to Exponential laws, x^a^b = x^ab

 

Work from right to left by first factoring the 3 in.