ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos


SAT Math Videos 171 videos

SAT Math 1.1 Statistics and Probability
304 Views

SAT Math 1.1 Statistics and Probability. In which of the following data sets are the arithmetic mean and the median equal?

SAT Math 1.2 Statistics and Probability
1063 Views

SAT Math: Statistics and Probability Drill 1, Problem 2. If the four largest numbers in the set were doubled, what would happen to the median...

SAT Math 1.3 Statistics and Probability
285 Views

SAT Math 1.3 Statistics and Probability. Approximately what is the probability that they will be placed in alphabetical order?

See All

SAT Math 2.2 Algebra and Functions 303 Views


Share It!


Description:

SAT Math 2.2 Algebra and Functions. What value of y is correct?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:02

Put this in your calculator and shmoop it...

00:05

If x to the y power... to the y power... to the y power...

00:10

to the y power... equals x to the 81st power... then y can be which of the following?

00:17

And here are the potential answers...

00:23

There may be a lot of parentheses here, but don't panic.

00:25

All we need is a simple exponent rule. Remember this rule?

00:31

When we take an exponent to an exponent, all we have to do is multiply the two exponents together.

00:38

So x to the y to the y is the same thing as x to the y squared.

00:44

So x to the y squared to the y to the y is the same thing as x to the y to the fourth power.

00:53

The base of both sides are the same, so the exponents of both sides must be the same.

01:00

Yeah, probably.

01:01

So y to the fourth is equal to 81.

01:03

What number, to the fourth power, is 81?

01:06

Well, 3 times 3 is 9 times 3 is 27 times 3 is 81, but

01:10

3 isn't the only number that's equals 81 when raised

01:14

to the fourth power. What's another one that works?

01:18

Negative 3 to the fourth power is also 81.

01:21

The negative cancels out since the exponent is even.

01:25

So yep, E is our answer.

Related Videos

SAT Math 2.1 Geometry and Measurement
2792 Views

SAT Math 2.1 Geometry and Measurement. What is the measure of angle z in terms of x and y?

SAT Math 9.4 Algebra and Functions
1315 Views

SAT Math 9.4 Algebra and Functions

SAT Math 9.2 Algebra and Functions
384 Views

SAT Math 9.2 Algebra and Functions

SAT Math: Identifying an Equation for the Average of Two Percentages
34 Views

In 2014, the unemployment rate of one county in California was 7%. In another county, the unemployment rate was 11%. Which of the following express...

SAT Math: Which Equation Represents Profit?
16 Views

Angela is making cookies for a bake sale. She expects each batch of her cookies to sell for $40. It costs her $10 to make one batch of cookies, and...