The Lesson

A power can have an fraction raised to an exponent. This is a laws of exponents.

How to Find a Power of an Algebraic Fraction

Question

Use the law of exponents to find the power with the fraction below.
three quarters squared

Step-by-Step:

1

Find the exponent of the power. In our example, the exponent is 2.

2

Find the top number (called the numerator) of the fraction. In our example, the numerator is 3. The numerator is 3

3

Raise the number found in Step 2 (3) to the exponent found in Step 1 (2). This becomes the numerator of the answer. The numerator of the answer is 3 squared

4

Find the bottom number (called the denominator) of the fraction. In our example, the denominator is 4. The denominator is 4

5

Raise the number found in Step 4 (4) to the exponent found in Step 1 (2). This becomes the denominator of the answer. The denominator of the answer is 4 squared
We have used the law of exponents to find the power of a fraction. 3 squared over 4 squared For the final steps, evaluate the powers in our fraction.

6

Evaluate the power on the top of the fraction. In our example, evaluate 32.
32 = 3 × 3 = 9

7

Evaluate the power on the bottom of the fraction. In our example, evaluate 42.
42 = 4 × 4 = 16

Answer:

(3⁄4)2 is equal to 9⁄16. 9 over 16

Understanding Finding a Power of a Fraction

Let us look at the rule for powers of a fraction: bases and exponents Firstly, let us look at what is to the left of the equals sign (=): Let us look at the right hand side of the equals sign (=):
  • The right hand side is a fraction.
  • The top of the fraction is a power: 2n. It has a base of 2 with an exponent of n.
  • The bottom of the fraction is a power: 3n. It has a base of 3 with an exponent of n.

Lesson Slides

The slider below shows another real example of how to find the power of a fraction.