Simplify 8b^9 / 2b^4 using the quotient rule.

• A. 4b^5
• B. 4b^13
• C. 16b^5
• D. 8b^5

Answer: (A)

Dividing monomials uses two straightforward rules: divide the numeric coefficients and subtract the exponents of the same base. For 8b^9 divided by 2b^4, handle each part separately. The numeric part is 8/2 = 4. For the variable part, b^9 divided by b^4 follows the exponent rule b^m / b^n = b^(m−n), giving b^(9−4) = b^5. Multiply the results: 4 × b^5 = 4b^5. So the simplified form is 4b^5. This assumes b ≠ 0 to avoid division by zero.