Simplify (-6a^2b)*(1/2ab)

$(- 6 a^{2} b) \cdot (\frac{1}{2} a b)$

Step 1

Multiply $a^{2}$ by $a$ by adding the exponents.

Move $a$ .

$- 6 (a \cdot a^{2}) b \cdot (\frac{1}{2} \cdot (b))$

Multiply $a$ by $a^{2}$ .

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$- 6 (a^{1} a^{2}) b \cdot (\frac{1}{2} \cdot (b))$

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$- 6 a^{1 + 2} b \cdot (\frac{1}{2} \cdot (b))$

Add $1$ and $2$ .

$- 6 a^{3} b \cdot (\frac{1}{2} \cdot (b))$

Step 2

Multiply $b$ by $b$ by adding the exponents.

Move $b$ .

$- 6 a^{3} (b \cdot b) \cdot \frac{1}{2}$

Multiply $b$ by $b$ .

$- 6 a^{3} b^{2} \cdot \frac{1}{2}$

Step 3

Cancel the common factor of $2$ .

Factor $2$ out of $- 6 a^{3} b^{2}$ .

$2 (- 3 a^{3} b^{2}) \cdot \frac{1}{2}$

Cancel the common factor.

$2 (- 3 a^{3} b^{2}) \cdot \frac{1}{2}$

Rewrite the expression.

$- 3 a^{3} b^{2}$