simplifyA fraction is simplified when there are no more common factors shared by the numerator and denominator. For example, the fraction 8/10 simplifies to 4/5 by dividing the numerator and denominator by the common factor of 2.\(b^5 \div b^3\).
\(b^5 \div b^3\) can be written as \(\frac{b^5}{b^3}\)
\(b^5 \div b^3\)
\(b^5 = b \times b \times b \times b \times b \) and \(b^3 = b \times b \times b\)
\(b^5 \div b^3\) so \(\frac{b^5}{b^3} = \frac{b \times b \times b \times b \times b}{b \times b \times b}\)
There are common factors of b in the numerator and denominator and these can be cancelled out, giving \(\frac{\cancel{b} \times \cancel{b} \times \cancel{b} \times b \times b}{\cancel{b} \times \cancel{b} \times \cancel{b}}\) which leaves \(b \times b = b^2\).
This means \(b^5 \div b^3\) can be simplified to \(b^2\).