Question 6 • Mathematics III
Rewrite 9 as 3² and 1/27 as 3⁻³. Then the equation becomes 3² = 3⁻³⁽ᵃ⁺³⁾, so the exponents are equal: 2 = −3(a + 3). Solving gives a + 3 = −2/3, so a = −11/3. The correct choice is negative 11 thirds.
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