To remove the parentheses, 1. Make sure every factor has an exponent. So we give 3 and 5 an exponent of 12. multiply every exponent inside the parentheses by the exponent just outside the paretheses and remove the parentheses: We get all the exponents positive by moving every factor with a negative exponent from the bottom to the top or from the top to the bottom. Leave the factors with positive exponents where they are: Add exponents of factors with the same base. Write 54 as 125 and 34 as 81. Edwin