Powers and Indices.

Lesson Two

with B. Chipeta
The Rules Of Indices.
Rule 1 : Multiplication of Indices.

anxa m =………
Rule 2 : Division of Indices.

a n a m = …….
Rule 3 : For negative indices

a -m =…….
Rule 4 : For Powers Of Index Numbers.

( a m ) n = …..
 What Is An Index Number.
You should know that:

8x8x8x8x8x8= 86 We say“eight to the power of 6”.

The power of 6 is an index number.

The plural (more than one) of index numbers is indices.
Hence indices are index numbers which are powers.
The number eight is the base number.

What are the indices in the expressions below:

(a) 3 x 5 4 (b) 36 9 + 34 (c) 8 3 x 7 2
9 3&2
4
Multiplication Of Indices.
We know that : 7 x 7x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 = 7 8

But we can also simplify expressions such as :

To simplify:
63x64

= (6 x 6 x 6) x (6 x 6 x 6 x 6) (1) Expand the expression.

=67 (2) How many 6’s do you

now have?
Key Result.
6 3 x 6 4= 6 7
(3) Now write the expression
as a single power of 6.
Using the previous example try to simplify the following
expressions:

(1) 3 7 x 3 4 (2) 8 5 x 8 9 (3) 4 11 x 4 7 x 4 8

=3 11 = 8 14 = 4 26

We can now write down our first rule of index numbers:

Rule 1 : Multiplication of Indices.

anxa m = a n+m
NB: This rule only applies to indices with a common
base number. We cannot simplify 3 11 x 4 7 as 3 and 4
are different base numbers.
What Goes In The Box ?
Simplify the expressions below :

(1) 6 4 x 6 3 (6) 2 2 x 2 3 x 2 5

(2) 9 7 x 9 2
(7) 8 7 x 8 10 x 8
(3) 11 6 x 11

(4) 14 9 x 14 12 (8) 5 20 x 5 30 x 5 50

(5) 27 25 x 27 30
Division Of Indices.
Consider the expression:

8 8
7 4
The expression can be
written as a quotient:
7
8
 4 Now expand the
8 numerator and
denominator.
8 8 8 8 8 8 8
 How many eights will
8 8 8 8 cancel from the top and
 8 8 8 the bottom ?

=8 3
Result: Cancel and simplify.
8 7  8 4= 8 3
 Using the previous result simplify the expressions below:

(1) 3 9  3 2 (2) 8 11  8 6 (3) 4 24  4 13

=3 7 =85 = 4 11

We can now write down our second rule of index numbers:

Rule 2 : Division of Indices.

a n a m = a n-m
What Goes In The Box ?
Simplify the expressions below :

(1) 5 9 5 2 (6) 2 32  2 27

(2) 7 12  7 5
(7) 8 70  8 39
(3) 19 6  19

(4) 36 15  36 10 (8) 5 200  5 180

(5) 18 40  18 20
Negative Index Numbers.
Simplify the expression below:

5 3 5 7 = 5 - 4 To understand this result fully

consider the following:
3
5 Write the original expression
57 again as a quotient:
Expand the numerator and
5 5 5
 the denominator:
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Cancel out as many fives as
1
 possible:
5 5 5 5
Write as a power of five:
1
 4 Now compare the two results:
5
The result on the previous slide allows us to see the following
results:
Turn the following powers into fractions:

(1) 2 3 (2) 3 4 (3) 106

1 1
1
 3  4  6
3 10
2
1
1 
1

 81 1000000
8
We can now write down our third rule of index numbers:

Rule 3 : For negative indices:.

1
a -m  m
a
 More On Negative Indices.
Simplify the expressions below leaving your answer as a
positive index number each time:
6
(1) 3 3 9
(2) 7 4  7 3
35 78  72
6  9  ( 5 )
3 7 4  3
 8  ( 2 )
 3 6  9  5 7
1
7
3 8  6
7
1 6
7
7
7
1
 7
7
What Goes In The Box ?
Change the expressions below to fractions:
2 2
5 3 4 6
(1) 2 (2) 3 (3) (4)
23 33

Simplify the expressions below leaving your answer with a

positive index number at all times:

4 45 6
(6)
7 7  7 6 (7) 3 2
 3 4
 3 3
(5)
43 710  7 11 36  3 4  3 2
 Powers Of Indices.
Consider the expression below:

To appreciate this expression

fully do the following:
( 2 3) 2
Expand the term inside the
bracket.
=(2x2x2 )2 Square the contents of the bracket.

= ( 2 x 2 x 2 ) x (2 x 2 x 2 ) Now write the

expression as a power
of 2.
=26

Result: ( 2 3 ) 2 = 2 6
We can now write down our fourth rule of index numbers:

Rule 4 : For Powers Of Index Numbers.

( am ) n = a mn

Use the result on the previous slide to simplify the

following expressions:

(1) 2) 4 (2) 5) 4 (3) ( 8 7) 6

(4 (7

=48 = 7 20 = 8 42

(4) (3 2) -3 (5) (5 3 x 5 4 )4

 ( 5 1 )  4
= 3 -6
1 5 4
 6
3
 Exercise
Simplify the expressions below leaving your answer as a
positive index number.

(1) 4 5
(7 ) (2) (53 )6 (3)
7 3
(10 )

3 2 5
(4) ( 8 2
 8 4 3
) (5) (7  7 ) (6) (116  115 )10
Index laws for fractional indices
Here is a summery of the index laws for fractional
indices.

x = x
1
2

n
x = x
1
n

𝑚 𝑛 𝑛 𝑚
𝑥𝑛 = 𝑥𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑥
 Surds

The square roots of many numbers cannot be found exactly.

For example, the value of √3 cannot be written exactly as a

fraction or a decimal.
The value of √3 is an irrational number.
For this reason it is often better to leave the square root sign in
and write the number as √3.
√3 is an example of a surd.

Which one of the following is not a surd?

√2, √6 , √9 or √14

9 is not a surd because it can be written exactly.

 Multiplying surds

What is the value of √3 × √3?

We can think of this as squaring the square root of three.

Squaring and square rooting are inverse operations so,
√3 × √3 = 3

In general, √a × √a = a

What is the value of √3 × √3 × √3?

Using the above result, Like algebra, we do

not use the × sign
√3 × √3 × √3 = 3 × √3
when writing surds.
= 3√3
 Multiplying surds

Use a calculator to find the value of √2 × √8.

What do you notice?

√2 × √8 = 4 (= √16)
4 is the square root of 16 and 2 × 8 = 16.

Use a calculator to find the value of √3 × √12.

√3 × √12 = 6 (= √36)
6 is the square root of 36 and 3 × 12 = 36.

In general, √a × √b = √ab
 Dividing surds

Use a calculator to find the value of √20 ÷ √5.

What do you notice?

√20 ÷ √5 = 2 (= √4)
2 is the square root of 4 and 20 ÷ 5 = 4.

Use a calculator to find the value of √18 ÷ √2.

√18 ÷ √2 = 3 (= √9)
3 is the square root of 9 and 18 ÷ 2 = 9.


a
In general, √a ÷ √b = b
Simplifying surds

We are often required to simplify surds by writing them in the

form a√b. For example,

Simplify √50 by writing it in the form a√b.

Start by finding the largest square number that divides into 50.

This is 25. We can use this to write:

√50 = √(25 × 2)
= √25 × √2
= 5√2
 Simplifying surds

Simplify the following surds by writing them

in the form a√b.

1) √45 2) √24 3) √300

√45 = √(9 × 5) √24 = √(4 × 6) √300 = √(100 × 3)

= √9 × √5 = √4 × √6 = √100 × √3

= 3√5 = 2√6 = 10√3

Rationalizing
Perfect Squares
Simplify the following leave your answer in
radical form
Hint: one # must be a Perfect Square Factor and the other should
be just a Factor

8 4*2 2 2

4*5 2 5
20

32 16 * 2 4 2
 Perfect Square Factor * Other Factor

LEAVE IN RADICAL FORM

8 = 4*2 = 2 2

= 4*5 = 2 5
20

32 = 16 * 2 = 4 2

75 = 25 * 3 = 5 3

40 = 4 *10 = 2 10
 +
To add radicals: add the
coefficients of like radicals
Simplify each expression

6 7 5 7 3 7  8 7

5 6 3 7 4 7 2 6  3 6 7 7
Simplify each expression: Simplify each radical first and then
combine.

2 50  3 32  2 25 * 2  3 16 * 2 
2 *5 2  3* 4 2 
10 2  12 2 
2 2
Simplify each expression: Simplify each radical first and then
combine.

3 27  5 48  3 9 * 3  5 16 * 3 
3*3 3  5* 4 3 
9 2  20 2 
29 2
Simplify each expression

6 5 5 6 3 6 

3 24  7 54 

2 8  7 32 
Simplify each expression

6 5  5 20 

18  7 32 

2 28  7  6 63 
 *
To multiply radicals:
• multiply the coefficients
• then multiply the radicands
• then simplify the remaining radicals.
 Multiply and then simplify

5 * 35  175  25 * 7  5 7

2 8 * 3 7  6 56  6 4 *14 
`1
6 * 2 14  12 14
 5 
2
5* 5  25  5

 72
 7* 7  49  7

 8  2
8* 8  64  8

 x 2
 x* x  x 
2 x
To divide radicals:
• divide the coefficients,
• divide the radicands if possible,
• and rationalize the denominator
so that no radical remains in the
denominator
56
 8 4*2  2 2
7
This cannot be divided
which leaves the radical 6 6 7
in the denominator. We  * 
do not leave radicals in 7 7 7
the denominator. So we
need to rationalize by
42 42
multiplying the fraction 
by something so we can 49 7
eliminate the radical in
the denominator.

42 cannot be simplified,
so we are finished.
This can be divided 5 1 2
which leaves the radical  * 
in the denominator. We 10 2 2
do not leave radicals in
the denominator. So we
need to rationalize by
multiplying the fraction 2
by something so we can 10
eliminate the radical in
the denominator.
This cannot be divided 3 3 3
which leaves the radical  * 
in the denominator. We 12 12 3
do not leave radicals in
the denominator. So we
need to rationalize by
3 3
multiplying the fraction 
by something so we can 36
eliminate the radical in
the denominator.

3 3 3
Reduce 
the 6 6
fraction.
Examples
Rationalise the denominator. Think what we need to multiply
the fraction by, without changing the value of the fraction.

5 5 6−5
= ?
6−2 2

2 2 5−2 3
= ?
7+ 3 4
The End