Exponents

Monday, October 08, 2012 9:37 AM

A base is the bottom number that indicates the number being multiplied. The base is a constant number and doesnt change when the power does. The power is the answer to multiplying a number more than one time. The base and power tell you the number and how many times that number is needed to be multiplied to get the answer. The power is a shortcut to repeated multiplication. In geometry you can do 2 *2= 4 or 2*2*2= 8 which is the same thing as 22 or 23.

Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base? When you increase the exponent you're multiplying Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base? When you're decreasing you are dividing the base. Double check your table. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time? Does the pattern work from 2^4 to 2^-4 as the exponent increases each time? NO it doesn't work for each one Use constants to help you think through what happens with variables in the following list of questions. What do you get when you add x by x? x+x= 2x What do you get when you subtract x by x? x-x= 0 What do you get when you multiply x by x? x^2= x
What do you get when you divide x by x? x/x= 1

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What do you get when you multiply x by x by x? x^3

What about x by x by x by x by x? x^5

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What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x^2*x= x^3 What about x^2 by x^3? x^2*x^3= x^5
What about x^4 by x^6? x^4*x^6=x^10

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Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases. When you multiply the same base multiple times you can just add up how many times that number is being repeated in the problem and put it as an exponent. For example x*x*x*x= x^4 because there are four x's in that problem.

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What do you get when you divide x by x? x/x= 1

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What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x^2*x= x^3

What about x^4 by x^2? x^4*x^2= x^6

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What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3? x^5/x^3= 1 2/3x What about x^6 by x? x^6/ x= 6
Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases. When you divide same bases you are basically simplifying or putting it into a fraction of ___ over ___. For example x^3/ x= 3 because it's x*x*x/ x= 3x/x= 3 What do you get when you square x^3? x^3*2= x^6

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What do you get when you square x^4? x^4*2= x^8 What do you get when you cube x^2? x^2*3= x^6
What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power? x^12

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What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power? x^10 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent.
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Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent. You can just add all the exponents together to get what the total exponent is. For example x^2 to the fourth power is x^8 because it is 2+2+2+2=8.

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