Basic Math Examples

$(\frac{1}{a} - \frac{1}{b}) (\frac{1}{a^{2}} + \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{b^{2}})$

Step 1

Expand $(\frac{1}{a} - \frac{1}{b}) (\frac{1}{a^{2}} + \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{b^{2}})$ by multiplying each term in the first expression by each term in the second expression.

$\frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2

Simplify terms.

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Step 2.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 2.1.1

Combine.

$\frac{1 \cdot 1}{a \cdot a^{2}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.2

Multiply $a$ by $a^{2}$ by adding the exponents.

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Step 2.1.2.1

Multiply $a$ by $a^{2}$ .

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Step 2.1.2.1.1

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{1 \cdot 1}{a^{1} a^{2}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.2.1.2

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{1 \cdot 1}{a^{1 + 2}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.2.2

Add $1$ and $2$ .

$\frac{1 \cdot 1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.3

Multiply $1$ by $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.4

Multiply $\frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{a b}$ .

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Step 2.1.4.1

Multiply $\frac{1}{a}$ by $\frac{1}{a b}$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a (a b)} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.4.2

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{1} a b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.4.3

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{1} a^{1} b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.4.4

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{1 + 1} b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.4.5

Add $1$ and $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.5

Combine.

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1 \cdot 1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.6

Multiply $1$ by $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.7

Multiply $\frac{1}{a^{2}}$ by $\frac{1}{b}$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.8

Multiply $- \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{a b}$ .

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Step 2.1.8.1

Multiply $\frac{1}{a b}$ by $\frac{1}{b}$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b \cdot b} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.8.2

Raise $b$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a (b^{1} b)} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.8.3

Raise $b$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a (b^{1} b^{1})} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.8.4

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{1 + 1}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.8.5

Add $1$ and $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$

Step 2.1.9

Multiply $- \frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{b^{2}}$ .

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Step 2.1.9.1

Multiply $\frac{1}{b^{2}}$ by $\frac{1}{b}$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{2} b}$

Step 2.1.9.2

Multiply $b^{2}$ by $b$ by adding the exponents.

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Step 2.1.9.2.1

Multiply $b^{2}$ by $b$ .

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Step 2.1.9.2.1.1

Raise $b$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{2} b^{1}}$

Step 2.1.9.2.1.2

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{2 + 1}}$

Step 2.1.9.2.2

Add $2$ and $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2

Simplify terms.

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Step 2.2.1

Combine the opposite terms in $\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a^{2} b} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a^{2} b} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{3}}$ .

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Step 2.2.1.1

Subtract $\frac{1}{a^{2} b}$ from $\frac{1}{a^{2} b}$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} + 0 - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2.1.2

Add $\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}}$ and $0$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{a b^{2}} - \frac{1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2.2

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{1 - 1}{b^{2} a} + \frac{- 1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2.3

Subtract $1$ from $1$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{0}{b^{2} a} + \frac{- 1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2.4

Combine the opposite terms in $\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{0}{b^{2} a} + \frac{- 1}{b^{3}}$ .

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Step 2.2.4.1

Divide $0$ by $b^{2} a$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + 0 + \frac{- 1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2.4.2

Add $\frac{1}{a^{3}}$ and $0$ .

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} + \frac{- 1}{b^{3}}$

Step 2.2.5

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$\frac{1}{a^{3}} - \frac{1}{b^{3}}$