Question 798861: I am having a bit of trouble with what I think is a fairly basic equation. -4ab*1/2ba^2 (no brackets)
I am treating ab^2 as axaxbxb so getting the answer -2ab^3. The automatic formula solvers tell me it's actually -2a^3b^2 which I can only assume is because they're attributing the ^2 to a and not b.
I am confused.
Please help!
Thank you
Jordan
Answer by KMST(5328)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!  and 
There is no way ab^2= could be interpreted as  .
Without brackets, the ^2 applies only to the variable or number right before it. That would include more than one character only if those characters are forming a single variable or a single number such as the square of the length of segment AB written as AB^2, or the square of 13 written as 13^2=169.
I like to use brackets when there could be any doubt.
Some could interpret -4ab*1/2ba^2 as   .
If I meant that, I would write it as -4ab*1/(2ba^2).
I would interpret -4ab*1/2ba^2 as
-4 times a, times b, times 1, divided by 2, times b, and times 
 ÷ {{2*ba^2=-4ab*1/2}}}
The same could be written as
 
I would interpret -4ab*1/2ab^2 as
-4 times a, times b, times 1, divided by 2, times b, and times
÷
The same could be written as
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