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GRE
base

exponent

= 22222

Examples:
52

34

= 55
= 25

= 3333
= 81

Practice: Evaluate the following

106
= 10 10 10 10 10 10
= 1,000,000

Answers:

a) 3 3 =

a) 3 3 = 27

b) 2 4 =

b) 2 4 = 16

c) 10 5 =

c) 10 5 = 100,000

d) (-2) 6 =

d) (-2) 6 = 64

e) 5 3 =

e) 5 3 = 125

f) 7 1 =

f) 7 1 = 7

Practice: Find the value of x

a) 4 x = 64
b) x

=8

c) 10 x = 10,000
d) x

= 27

e) 13 x = 13
f) x

= 1,000,000

Answers:
a) 4 3 = 64
b) 2 3 = 8
c) 10 4 = 10,000
d) 3 3 = 27
e) 13 1 = 13
f) 1000 2 = 1,000,000

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GRE
Product Law

Quotient Law

x x = x
a

Examples:

10
6

a b

4 4
4
=
7 7
7

19

(11 )

3 5

511
= 57
4
5

10

( 3.9 ) 2

3 7

30

a) 6 4 63 62 6 =

( 5 )
3
( 5 )

10

( 84 )

( 2.8 )
20
= ( 2.8 )
10
( 2.8 )

Practice: Simplify the following

= x ab

Examples:

49 46 = 43

( 3 ) = ( 3 )
4

(x )

Examples:

85 87 = 812

( 3 )

Power Law

xa
x a x b = b = x ab
x

a+b

= 1115
= ( 3.9 )

20

= 8421

Answers:
a) 610

21

b)

b)

2 2 2
c)
3 3 3

10

( 5 )

2
c)
3

d)

(5 )

e)

85 8 4 8 3
=
86

6
e) 8

f)

( 23 ) 4 =

f)

260

g) 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 =

g)

79

5
4
13
h) x x x =
6

16
h) x

4 11

18

19

d) 5 44

x ( x5 ) x7
2

i)

(x )

4 3

i)

x6

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GRE
Negative Powers

x n =

1
xn

Examples:

1
1
=
4
3
81
1
1
102 = 2 =
10
100
1 1
7 1 = 1 =
7
7
3 4 =

Practice: Evaluate the following

Answers:

a) 5 -2 =

a) 5 -2 =

1
25

b) 2 -5 =

b) 2 -5 =

1
32

c) 10 -4 =

c) 10 -4 =

d) (-3) -1 =

d) (-3) -1 =

e) 4 -3 =

e) 4 -3 =

1
64

f) 11 -1 =

f) 11 -1 =

1
11

Practice: Find the value of x

a)

2x =

1
128

1
1,000,000

b) x 3 =

1
625

c)

5x =

d)

x 2 =

e)

x 83 = 1

49
25

1
10,000
1
3

Answers:

2 7 =

a)

1
128

b) 1003 =
c)

5 4 =

d)

1
1,000,000

1
625

49
25

e) 183 = 1