How do you manually do a fractional exponent?

[BobbyJoeCool]

When you have a non-integer exponent, such as .4 (also experessed 4/10 or 2/5), you can just take the denominator of the fraction and take that root of the number...

 

eg. x^(2/5), can be expressed the 5th root of x^2. Whereas I would find it hard to calulate this without a calculator, I think it's possible, and maybe that's what that gigantic math deal I skimed over (because I understand very little of it) is meant to explain. But, isn't this true and make it easier?

 

Somthing along the lines of x^(2/5)=x^2*x^(1/5), and x^(1/5)=5th?(x), and therefor x^(2/5)=5th?(x)^2.

[matt grime]

johnny was permantently banned for a reason, and it was little do with the proper way to do exponents, whatever that may even mean.

 

can you take 5th roots manualy? and what about irrational powers?

[BobbyJoeCool]

can you take 5th roots manualy? and what about irrational powers?

 

I don't know if you can take 5th roots manually... I know you can take square roots manually (all be it a VERY long computation). I least I thought you could. But irrational powers is something else. He asked about fraction exponants, and I said what I remember from my Advanced Algebra course.