algebra challenged: please help!

[Minnie Imagineer]

I am now taking pre-calculus but we have homework that is a review from last year (algebra 2). I do not remember anything and I can't find the right help online. I am mathmatically challenged so any help would be great!
these are my problems...

simplify:
#1) 1/x - 1/5
___________
x^1/2 - 1/25

#2) 9-x^-2
_______
3+ x ^-1

factor completly:
#3) x^6 - 16x^4

#4) 4x^3 - 8x^3 - 25x + 50

#5) x^4 - 1

#6) 8x^3 + 27

[Mammabruski]

Ok,
So I'm a high school math teacher and I started to put together some help for you but, boy was it long and complicated. Coming from a teacher, your best bet would be to go to school early tomorrow and go seek help from your teacher - most likely he or she would be glad to explain this to you in person. Believe me it would be much easier to help you face to face. It also tells your teacher that you care about the class and would like to do well in it. If you do not want to go and ask your teacher still go in early and try to find an Algebra 2 text book and look for the following sections:

Simplifying rational expressions (including multiplying and dividing them)

The rules of negative exponents (x^-2 becomes 1/x^2), fractional exponents (x^1/2 equals the square root of x) and the rules of multiplying exponents (x^2 times x^3 equals x^5)

The special factoring rules (difference of two perfect squares, the sum or difference of two perfect cubes, etc.

Did you try looking in your Pre-calc book for help? I'd be very surprised if there were no examples of these problems in the early chapters or in an appendix.
Good luck, and please go see your teacher!