standard_description: Explain how the definition of the meaning of rational exponents follows from extending the properties of integer exponents to those values, allowing for a notation for radicals in terms of rational exponents. For example, we define 5^(1/3) to be the cube root of 5 because we want (5^(1/3))^(3) = 5(^(1/3))^(3) to hold, so (5^(1/3))^(3) must equal 5.
problem_activity: A statistically-minded state trooper wondered if the speed distributions are similar for cars traveling northbound and for cars traveling southbound on an isolated stretch of interstate highway. He uses a radar gun to measure the speed of all northbound cars and all southbound cars passing a particular location during a 15-minute period. Here are his results:
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Draw box plots of these two data sets, and then use the plots and appropriate numerical summaries of the data to write a few sentences comparing the speeds of northbound cars and southbound cars at this location during the fifteen-minute time period.


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