Help :) A level Simplifying

Hey there fellow students. I just wanted some help regarding this question, its not that difficult but I just wanted to gain some knowledge from it.

The question is to simplify in lowest form: 9/4B^2C^3 + 3E/2B^5CD

Now, what I was stuck with is should I make the denominator equal to '4B^2CD' or '4B^5C^3D
Or Does it not matter, with both the denominators?

So, here my two answers:

1. 9C^-2D + 6B^3E / 4B^2CD

2. 9B^3D + 6EC^2 / 4B^5C^3D

Can someone with better understand, can tell me if both answers are right or wrong, I would appreciate it.
Thx :colondollar:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

ghostwalker

Original post by Fancy Fun

Can someone with better understand, can tell me if both answers are right or wrong, I would appreciate it.
Thx :colondollar:

Whilst both answers you gave are equivalent to the original, I would not expect to see negative indices in the numerator (or denominator). Your second answer is the one they are looking for.

You need to put everything over the LCM of the two denominators, and then cancel what you can - which gives you the second answer.