If 8 to the y th power is equal to 16 raised to the y plus 2 power , what is the value of y ?

Rewrite both sides using base 2: 8^y = 2^(3y) and 16^(y+2) = 2^(4y+8). Since the bases are equal, set the exponents equal: 3y = 4y + 8, which gives y = -8. The correct choice is negative 8.

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