Help with 8th grade math problem

b3 - 21
---------
5b + 9

b= 3

^ oh and it's a fraction if u can't tell.
the answer is 1/4 but i keep getting -1/2

another i've been stuck on for 10 min. is 2 x 2 + 3^2 - 4 + 3 x 5 <------ add parentheses so it equals 14

in this one when i say x it's the multiply symbol.

thx if u answered! i've been stuck on these for a while. i'll probably pick the best answer in an hour

1. substitute b with 3

3^3 - 21 / 5*3 + 9
= 27 - 21 / 15 +9
= 6/24
= 1/4
from where can you say it's -1/2?

2. do parentheses then multiplication

2*2 + 9 - 4 + 3*5
= 4 + 9 - 4 + 15
= 24
oh, it's not 14 :p

How is the answer 1/4...? Its not /: I got -1/2 too.
The second one... what does the ^ stand for? Im in 8th grade algebra atm and im not so sure. Answer back?

(27 - 21)/(15 + 9)
6/24 = 1/4