Use the rule of subtracting exponents: If an exponential factor of the numerator has the same base as an exponential factor of the denominator, then 1. If the larger exponent is in the numerator, then subtract the exponent of the denominator from the exponent in the numerator and place the resulting exponential in the numerator, and eliminate the exponential from the denominator. 2. If the larger exponent is in the denominator, then subtract the exponent of the numerator from the exponent in the denominator and place the resulting exponential in the denominator, and eliminate the exponential from the numerator. [In either case, subtract the smaller numerator from the larger and place the resulting exponential where the larger exponent was, top or bottom] Give the y the exponent of 1. Look at the exponentials in the numerator and in the denominator. The larger exponent is in the denominator, so we subtract the exponents "larger - smaller" = 8-6 = 2, and place the resulting exponential in the denominator because the larger exponent 8 was in the denominator, and eliminate the from the numerator: Now look at the exponentials in the numerator and in the denominator. The larger exponent is in the numerator, so we subtract the exponents "larger - smaller" = 2-1 = 1, and place the resulting exponential in the numerator because the larger exponent 2 was in the numerator, and eliminate the in the denominator: Finally we don't need to write the 1 exponent, so we end up with: Edwin