First method: breaking everything into prime factors: Write as Write as Write as Then we have: Put a factor on the top and bottom: Then we cancel the two 's on top with two of the 's on the bottom: Then we cancel the in the top into one of the 's in the bottom: So all that didn't cancel out is Then write the as and as That way will always work, but here is another method: ------------- Second method: Put a 1 coefficient on top and bottom. Also put a 1 exponent on the on top: Now subtract the exponents of That is subtract them "largest minus smaller" and put the result where the larger exponent was, that is, either the numerator or denominator. In this case the larger exponents are both in the bottom, so we subtract exponents of , 5-2 getting 3, so we put on the bottome because the larger exponent 5 was on the bottom. we also subtract exponents of , 3-1 getting 2, so we put on the bottom because the larger exponent 3 was on the bottom. So we have: or Edwin