Question

How do you simplify `(-4y^3)(½y)`?

Answer 1

`-2y^4`

Explanation:

The two brackets mean that the factors are all multiplied.

Multiply the signs, then the numbers, then the variables.

`(color(blue)(-)color(red)(4)color(green)(y^3)) xx(color(blue)(+)color(red)(1/2)color(green)(y))`

`=color(blue)(-)color(red)((4xx1/2))(color(green)(y^3 xx y))" "larr` add indices of like bases.

`color(blue)(-color(red)(2)color(green)(y^4)`