POWERS & ROOTS

LECTURE
by
J.K.GONDWE

1
LECTURE OBJECTIVES
• Use rules to operate with powers
• Understand roots and fractional
exponents
• Learn Zero exponents
• Learn negative exponents
• Evaluate problems.

2
OPERATIONS WITH
POWERS
Powers enable us to write a repeated operation in
a shorthand way
5
eg a  a  a  a  a  a (a to the power 5)
a n a a a ........a
(where a appears n times after the sign)
n
In a : a base
n  exponent or index or power

3
ADDITION AND
SUBTRACTION

To add or subtract like powers simply

add or subtract their coefficients
2 3 2 3 2 3
3a  b - a  4b 2a  5b
4 4 4
3a  ba (3  b) a

4
MULTIPLICATION OF
POWERS
Powers with different bases cannot
be simplified
2 3 6
a b (ab)
To multiply powers with the same base,
add their indices
2 3 5
a a a
5
DIVISION OF POWERS
Powers with different bases cannot
be simplified
2
5 a
3
a b  
b
To divide powers with the same base
subtract the index of the denominator
from that of the numerator
n m n-m
a a a 6
RAISING A PRODUCT TO
AN EXPONENT
Raise the individual factors to the exponent
2 2 2 2 2 2
(4bc) 4 b c 16b c
2 2 2
(a  b) a  b
2 2
Note (3  1) 4 16
2 2
3  1 9  1 10

7
RAISING A FRACTION TO
AN EXPONENT
Raise both the numerator and the denominator
to the exponent
n
a an
   n
b b
2
 6 62 36
   2  9
 2 2 4

8
RAISING A POWER TO AN
EXPONENT
Use rule for multiplying powers
m n mn
(a ) a
2 3 2 2 2 6 23
(a ) a a a a a
2 9 (2)9 18
Hence (5 ) 5 5
9
FRACTIONAL
EXPONENTS
A root   is shorthand for the inverse
1 
 , where n is a positive integer  of
n 
the operation of raising to a power.
Root  square root i.e. 2
1
9  9 stands for the operation of finding
2

the number which gives the result 9

when raised to the power of 2 10
FRACTIONAL
EXPONENTS
 1

The n root of a quantity,  a  , written
th n

 
n
n
a is a quantity b such that b  a
N.B. An even root does not give a unique result
i.e. 64 8
A negative number cannot have an even root
No number can be squared to produce - 4
11
FRACTIONAL
EXPONENTS
Powers where the exponent is
m
not an integer i.e.
n
m 1 1
m m
a n
a n
or a n

m
1  1

 a  
m n
or  a n 

 
n
 a m
or  a
n
m
12
Example
m
1  1

a m n
or  a n 

 
7
7 1  1

4 4
2
  7 2
or  4 2 

 
 4 7
or  4 7

or 2 
7
 16384
128 13
ZERO EXPONENT
Powers where the exponent is zero
Any power with an exponent of 0 equals 1
0
Note a 1
2
3 2- 2 0
2
3 3 1
3
9
or 1
9
14
NEGATIVE EXPONENT

n 1
a  n
a
2 1 1
2  2 
2 4
15
Common Sources of Error
in Handling Operations
with Powers
Correct
2 2 2
(ab) a b

(a 2 b 2 )  a 2  b 2 ab

-2 2 1 1
a b  2  2
a b
16
Common Sources of Error
in Handling Operations
with Powers
Incorrect
(a  b) 2 a 2  b 2

(a 2  b 2 )  a 2  b2

-2 -2 1
a b  2

a  b2 

17
RULES OF EXPONENTS

a m a n a m n for m,n  N
am m n
 a for m,n  N , m  n, a 0
an
a 
m n
a mn for m,n  N
m 1
a  m for a  R, a 0
a
a 0 1 for a  R, a 0 Note : 0 0 is meaningless!

18
RULES OF EXPONENTS
1

a m
m a for a  R, n  N
n
n
 1

a m
 a m  ma
   n

 
1
OR  a   n m
m a n provided the m th root of a n exists

 N  Natural numbers (counting numbers) 

 R - Real numbers (numbers that exist as opposed to complex numbers) 
 
 e.g. of real numbers : whole numbers, integers, decimal and vulgar fractions

19
Indicate if every relationship is
true or false:
1. 53 = 15 T F
2. 24 = 16 T F
3. 5 4 5 5 5 20 T F
4. (53)7 = 521 T F
5. 00 =1 T F
6. 83 83 = 0 T F
7. (73 72)0 = 1 T F
8. (142 72) = (14 7) 2 T F
9. (153 33) = 125 T F
10. (24)3 (24)2 = 16 T F
11. (34)2 3 = 39 T F
12. 23 25 22 28 = 2-2 T F
 Calculate the value of these expressions
using powers properties:

 
1. 822  82 8 83 2 8 84 82 
2

2.  27  3

 8 

1 1 1 1
n n n n
3. 10 15 6 45
3 2 6 3