Year 8 Special – Mathematics

Indices / Exponentials
General form: ! !
- ! is the base
- " is the exponent or index

INDEX LAWS:
!" × !# = !"$# 1
!%# =
!" ÷ !# = !"%# !#
1
(!" )# = !"×# = !#
!%#
(!()# = !# ( # " ( ( "
!# = (!" )# -. /! 0
#
! # !#
) * = #
( ( (
!
'
! # = √!
! =1

Examples – do together: Simplify the following

1. (2#! $ " )" × (3#$ # )$!
"
!%! &"
2. ( ) ÷ (#$ $( + )"
%&' "
""# ×*#
3.
+# ×"#

Examples – try yourself: Simplify the following

," -! . $ (
/1, + 0 , ! - $ 3- %! , " . %$
1. 4. ÷
,- %& . ! 2, ' - %" ", " - $ .
(
%' &! ' ( /%! &" ' + 0 2( , & - ( . ! *, %" - $
2. + ×- 5. ×
%&( ' ) &* %' &" ' ! , %& - ! . ( .(
"
/"%+ 0 3(,5") 3,5(3
3. 6. ×
*%( 1, " #- ! "

Examples – challenge questions:

""# ×2&%#
1. Express as a power of 3
+(#%&
!78+ 3(8" :%! )"
2. Simplify 9! :%" ÷
$#9%&
 + !
3. Simplify (3#! $ " ) × 2(#$( $ ! )$!
"
%
+(" ×!1! ×√"
4. Simplify !
!#"+
&
, #
5. Simplify (. $! /)" × (-%!)

SOLVING EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS

Make the base number the same on both sides of the equation
1. Equate the powers
Examples – do together: Solve for x
1. 25, = 125 3. 3!,$( = 27,
(
2. 3, =
2

Examples – try yourself: Solve for x

(
1. 2$, = *# 4. 9,5(! = 81,53
(
2. 2,5( = 8, 5. 7$, =
"#"
(
3. 11, = (!( 6. 9,$( = 27!,$*

APPLICATION
) #
Exponential formula: 2 = 2' )1 ± (''*
- 2 is the amount
- 2' is the initial amount
- 4 is the rate
- 5 is the time

Examples:
1. John has a painting that is valued at $100000 and which is expected to increase in
value by 14% per annum. What is the value of the painting after 2 years?
2. A city’s initial population of 50000 is decreasing by 12% per year. What is the
population after 1.5 years?
3. Anthony’s investment of $4000 is compounded at 8.4% p.a. over 5 years.
Determine the amount he will have after 5 years if the interest is paid monthly.
Round to the nearest cent.
Logarithms
General form: log * (
- ! is the base
- ( is the argument
o ( has to be positive
o ‘The logarithm of b to the base a’

Converting from exponentials to logarithms:

When ! ! = 9, log * 9 = ", for ! ∈ ℝ$ \{1}

NOTE: exponentials and logarithms are inverse functions

LOGARITHM LAWS:

log * (?5) = log * ? + log * 5 log * (?%( ) = − log * ?

? log * (1) = 0
log * ) * = log * ? − log * 5
5
log * (a) = 1
log * (?+ ) = B log * ?

NOTE: (log * ?), ≠ ( log * ?

Examples – do together: Simplify the following

( (
1. 789* 9 + 789* 8 − 789* 2 3. log < (16a# ) − " log < (8a" )
!
2. log(7 (10* ) + log(7 (3.)

Examples – try yourself: Simplify the following

1. 789(7 (7.) + 789(7 (5/)

2. 789! (7. ) + 789!(3/) − 789! (9/)
3. 789= (9A) − 789= (18A $( )
!1
4. 789" (3! ) + 789" ( # )

5. 789& ($ " ) + 789& B√$D

"
6. 789% (#) − 789% (√#)
!
Examples – challenge questions: Simplify the following

1. . 789! 8 + 789! (8($, )

(
2. 3 789(7 (.) + 2 789(7 (. " ) + 789(7 (. 3 )
!

%
3. 789" (2## ) + 2 789" EF!G

Surds
-
Rational numbers are numbers that can be written in the form of a fraction. e.g. −1, . , 1.6
- Numbers with a terminating or recurring decimal are also considered rational
numbers
Irrational numbers cannot be written as a fraction e.g. √3, J, −2√7
- Surds are examples of irrational numbers

SURDS RULES:

/
1. M√"N = " and √" / = " when " ≥ 0

2. P"9 = √" × P9
! √!
3. Q0 = 0
√

Examples – do together: Simplify the following

1. √32 13
3. F 2
3√#7
2. *

Examples – try yourself: Simplify the following

1. 4√125 5.
*√13
!7
√#3
2. !*
" 6. F"!
!√(7+
3.
(+

!1
4. F #
ADDING AND SUBTRACTING SURDS

You can only add or subtract two surds together if their base number is the same.

Examples – do together: Simplify the following

1. 2√3 + 4√3 3. 5√2 − √8

2. 4√6 + 3√2 − 3√6 + 2√2 4. 2√5 − 3√20 + 6√45

Examples – try yourself: Simplify the following

1. 3√11 − 8√11 − √11 5.

√3
+
√3
# "
2. −4√5 − 2√15 + 5√15 + 2√5 1√3 #√3
6. −
* 2
3. 5√7 + 2√5 − 3√28
4. 7√3 − 2√8 + √12 + 3√8

MULTIPLYING AND DIVIDING SURDS

Recall,
1. P"9 = √" × P9
! √!
2. Q0 = 0
√

Examples – do together: Simplify the following

1. √2 × √3 (!√(+
4.
"√"
2. 2√3 × 3√15
5. 3√6(2√10 − 4√6)
3. −√10 ÷ √2

Examples – try yourself: Simplify the following

1. √2 × −√15 (!√17
4.
(+√(#
√!*
2. − 5. √2B√7 − √5D
√!

3. −2√7 × −3√14 6. −2√8B2√2 − 3√20D