EXONENT

Tuesday, October 09, 2012 8:58 AM

Part 1: Powers of Constants

Go to the following site to explore exponents where the base is a constant (number).

Use the scroll bar under the problem to see what happens as you multiply groups of 2 by clicking PLAY (the forward arrow).

Next, click on the Components button at the top. Drag the two circles that say DRAG and read the text in blue above the example. Next, click on the forward arrow on the scroll bar to go to the next problem.

Introduction to Exponents Page 1

Continue dragging any blue Drag circles, clicking on the forward arrow and reading the information in blue at the top until this section is complete.
In the next component, click on the two Drag circles, one at a time and note what happens.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

In your blog, type a paragraph explaining what you have learned. What is a base? What is a power? What does a base and power (exponent) tell you to do? What is a power a shortcut to? How could you use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a number?

Exponents are those little numbers above other numbers. The other numbers are the bases , which are the number that the exponent, or power affects. An exponent or power tells you to multiply the base by itself, x amount of times. So if the power was 4, and the base 5, you would multiply 5 by itself 5 times. So 5 to the 4th power, would look like, 5x5x5x5= 625. A power is basically a shortcut for long multiplication. Another example to help you understand powers, is like a rubics cube, a rubics cube is basically 3 to the 3rd power.
Part 2: Negative and Positive Powers

Complete the following in One Note in the Introduction to Exponents Section in your Exponents Unit. Call the page "Exponent Wiki Activity Part 2". Suppose you are working with a base of 2. In One Note, determine what happens to 2 when you have 2^1, 2^2, 2^3, and 2^4. Show what each one means and what each one equals. Look at the answers for each of these. Copy the table below into One Note.

Base 2

Exponent Meaning Value 4 2x2x2x2 16 Introduction to Exponents Page 2

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4

2x2x2x2 16 2x2x2 2x2 2x1 2/2 1/2 1/2 / 2 1/4 / 2 1/8 / 2 8 4 2 1 1/2 1/4 2/8 1/16

Fill in the powers of 1, 2, 3, and 4 with the information you just found. Copy, paste and answer the questions below into your One Note page. Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base? x*x*x etc.. Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base? x/y/y/y Now, decrease the exponent from 1 to 0 and using the pattern you have discovered, determine the value of 2 to the 0 power and fill in the table. Continue with this pattern to fill out the rest of the table. Double check your table. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time? yes Does the pattern work from 2^4 to 2^-4 as the exponent increases each time? yes
Part 3: Powers of Variables

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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 What do you get when you subtract x by x? 0 What do you get when you multiply x by x? x^2 What do you get when you divide x by x? 1 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^4 What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x^5 What about x^2 by x^3? x^5 What about x^4 by x^6 x^10 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases. You should add the exponents and place them on top of the base. What do you get when you divide x by x? 1 What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x^3 What about x^4 by x^2? x^6 What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3? x^2 What about x^6 by x? x^5 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases. When you devide same bases, you subtract the exponents and thats your answer over your base. What do you get when you square x^3? x^6 What do you get when you square x^4? x^8 What do you get when you cube x^2? x^8 What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power? x^12 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. You multiply the two or three exponents to get your new exponent. Part 4: Uploading to Scribd Upload the One Note Notebook page to Scribd and then embed into your blog.

Introduction to Exponents Page 3

Upload the One Note Notebook page to Scribd and then embed into your blog.
Pasted from <http://transitionalactivities.wikispaces.com/Exponents>

Introduction to Exponents Page 4