1.

1 Reviewing the Exponent Laws

I NVESTIGATE & I NQUIRE

An order of magnitude is an approximate size of a
quantity, expressed as a power of 10.
The table shows some speeds in metres per
second, expressed to the nearest order of
magnitude.
Entity Speed (m/s)
Light (in space) 108
Sound (in air) 102
Horse (galloping) 101
Human (walking) 100
Garden snail 10–3

1. Express 100 metres per second in

standard form.
2. Use division to determine, to the
nearest order of magnitude, how many
times as fast
a) light is as sound b) a horse is as a snail

3. Write the rule you used to divide two powers of 10.

4. To the nearest order of magnitude, the moon orbits the Earth 106 times
as fast as a snail can travel. Use multiplication to express the speed of the
moon in metres per second, to the nearest order of magnitude.
5. Write the rule you used to multiply two powers of 10.

The following summary shows the exponent laws for integral exponents.
Exponent Law for Multiplication
32 × 34 = (3 × 3)(3 × 3 × 3 × 3) am × an = (a × a × … × a)(a × a × … × a)
=3×3×3×3×3×3











= 36 m factors n factors
=a×a×a×…×a








m + n factors
m+n
=a
4 MHR • Chapter 1
Exponent Law for Division m factors






65 6 × 6 × 6 × 6 × 6 am a × a × a × … × a
2 =  n =  , a ≠ 0
6 6×6 a a×a×…×a
=6×6×6






n factors
=6
3
=a×a×a×…×a








m − n factors
m−n
=a
Power Law (am)n = (a × a × … × a)n





(52)3 = (5 × 5)3 m factors
= (5 × 5)(5 × 5)(5 × 5) = (a × a × … × a) × (a × a × … × a) × … × (a × a × … × a)
=5×5×5×5×5×5

















= 56 m factors m factors m factors


















n times
=a×a×a×…×a








mn factors
=a mn

Power of a Product (ab)m = (ab) × (ab) × … × (ab)









(5 × 2)3 = (5 × 2) × (5 × 2) × (5 × 2) m factors
=5×5×5×2×2×2 = (a × a × … × a) × (b × b × … × b)
= 5 3 × 23











m factors m factors
=a bm m

Power of a Quotient m

   
a a a a
 =  ×  ×…× 
3 b b b b
   
2 2 2 2
 =  ×  × 








5 5 5 5
2×2×2 m factors
=
5×5×5 m factors
23






= 3 a×a×…×a
5 = 
b×b×…×b






m factors
m
a
= ,b≠0
bm
1.1 Reviewing the Exponent Laws • MHR 5
A power is an expression in the form am. The exponent laws can be used to
simplify expressions with powers.

EXAMPLE 1 Simplifying Expressions With Powers

Simplify.
2 3 2
a) (3a b)(−2a b ) b) (m3)4 c) (−4p3q2)3

SOLUTION
a) (3a2b)(−2a3b2) = 3 × (−2) × a2 × a3 × b × b2
= −6a5b3
3×4
b) (m ) = m
3 4

= m12
c) (−4p q ) = (−4) × (p ) × (q )
3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3

= −64p9q6

EXAMPLE 2 Simplifying a Power of a Quotient

6x5y3 2
Simplify  
8y4 .

SOLUTION 1
Use the power of a quotient law first.
6x5y3 2 (6)2(x5)2(y3)2

8y4  = 
(8)2(y4)2
36x10y6
=
64y8
9x10
= 2
16y

SOLUTION 2
Simplify the quotient first.
5 3
6x y 2 3x5 2

8y4   
= 
4y
(3)2(x5)2
=
(4)2(y)2
10
9x
= 2
16y
6 MHR • Chapter 1
The following summarizes the rules for zero and negative exponents.
Zero Exponent
23 am m−m
3 = 23 − 3 m = a
2 a
= 20 = a0
23 am
but 3 = 1 but  =1
2 am
so 2 = 1 so, if a ≠ 0, a = 1
0 0
Note that 00 is not defined.

Negative Exponents
23 × 2−3 = 23 + (−3) am × a−m = am + (−m)
= 20 = a0
so 2 × 2−3 = 1 so am × a−m = 1
3

23 × 2–3 1 am × a–m 1
 = 3 Divide both sides by 2 . =
3
3  m
m
m Divide both sides by a .
2 2 a a
1 1
2–3 = 3 so, if a ≠ 0, a–m = 
2 am
1
Similarly, if a ≠ 0,  = am
a–m
EXAMPLE 3 Simplifying Expressions With Negative Exponents
(–6x–2y)(–9x–5y–2)
Simplify  . Express the answer with positive exponents.
3x2y–4

SOLUTION
(–6x–2y)(–9x–5y–2)

3x2y–4
54x–7y–1
Multiply: =
3x2y–4
−9 3
Divide: = 18x y
18y3
Rewrite: =
x9

EXAMPLE 4 Evaluating Expressions With Zero and Negative Exponents

Evaluate.
3 –2 (–6)0 2–4 + 2–6

a) 
4
b) 
2–3
c) 
2–3
1.1 Reviewing the Exponent Laws • MHR 7
SOLUTION 1 Paper-and-Pencil Method
1 1
1 4 + 6
(–6)0 2 +2–4 –6
3 –2 
 
1 2 2
a)  = 3 2 b)  –3 =  c)  = 1
4  2 2–3 2 –3
3
4 2
1
1 = 2 +1
2
= 1

9 3
 2 26
16 = 1
1 3
16 =
=  1 2
9 
2 + 1 23
2
8
=8 =  × 
26 1
2 +1
2
=
23
5
=
8
SOLUTION 2 Graphing-Calculator Method
The first answer given by a graphing calculator may be a decimal. If
necessary, convert the decimal to a fraction using the Frac function.
a) b) c)

Key Concepts
• Exponent law for multiplication: am × an = am + n
• Exponent law for division: am ÷ an = am − n
• Power law: (am)n = amn
• Power of a product law: (ab)m = ambm
a m am
• Power of a quotient law:  =
b bm
if a ≠ 0, a = 1
0
• Zero exponent property:
1 1
if a ≠ 0, a = m and –m = a
–m m
• Negative exponent property:
a a

8 MHR • Chapter 1
 Communicate Yo u r Understanding
1. Describe how you would simplify (−4x2y3)(3xy4).
3–2
2. Describe how you would evaluate  using paper and pencil.
3–1 + 3–2
3. What is the value of 04 ? Explain.
4. Explain why a ≠ 0 for the negative exponent property.

Practise
A
1. Express as a power of 2. 6. Simplify. Express each answer with
a) 2 × 2 b) 2 ÷ 2
4 3 6 2 4 3
c) (2 ) positive exponents.
d) 2 × 2 e) 2 × 2 27 ÷ 2y
7 3 m
x 3 a 4 x2 5
   
f)
a)  b)  c) 
g) 2 ÷ 2 2−3 × 24
x 4 x y
h) (2 ) i) 2 b y3
−2 −5 3 −1
j) 2 ÷ 2 k) (2 ) l) 2−4 × 20 x –1 a–2 –2
2. Evaluate.
d) 
3 e) 
 
b–3
a) 3−2 b) 50 c) (−2)−4 7. Simplify. Express each answer with
−1 2 1
−(−3) f) 
0
d) (2 ) e) positive exponents.
1 5–2 a) 5m × 3m
4 2 4
b) (4ab )(−5a b )
3 2
g)  h) −(23)−2 2 3 3 2 5
(–4)–1 c) 5a(−2ab )(−3b ) d) (−6m n )(−4mn )
2 −2 −2 2 2 −3
e) (7x )(6x ) f) (3x y )(−2x y )
3. Simplify. Express each answer with −1 2 −3 −4
g) (−6a b )(−a b ) h) (−10x ) ÷ (−2x)
4
positive exponents.
45a2b4 (4m2n4)(7m3n)
a) a × a
4 3 6 2
b) (m )(m ) i)  j) 
c) b × b × b
5 6
d) a × b × a
2 4 9ab2 14mn5
3ab × 10a b
3 4 2 4 3
3 4 5 3 −5 4a b –a3
e) (x )(y)(y )(x ) f) (x )(x ) k)  l)  ×
−4
g) m × m
−5 −1
h) y × y × y
−3 2 15a2b6 a5b6 –(b2)
i) a × a
5 0 −3 −2 2 –54a5b–7
j) (a )(b )(a ) m) (35x ) ÷ (5x ) n) 
5 –3
–6a–2b–3
4. Simplify. Express each answer with −4 2
o) (−6m n ) ÷ (2m n )
−1 −6

positive exponents. –3
(–2x y)(–12x y ) –4 –2

a) x ÷ x
6 3
b) m ÷ m
7
c) t ÷ t
4 −2
p) 
−5 −3 −5 6xy–3
d) y ÷ y e) m ÷ m f) t ÷ t
4 0 0
8. Simplify. Express each answer with
5. Simplify. Express each answer with positive exponents.
3 2 2 3
positive exponents. a) (2m ) b) (−4x )
3 2 2 3 4 2 −1 3 2 2 −3 3 −2
a) (x ) b) (a b ) c) (x ) c) (−3m n ) d) (5c d )
4 0 −1 2 −2 2 3 −3 −3 −2 −3 3 −2 −4
d) (t ) e) (a b ) f) (x y ) e) (2a b ) f) (−3x y )
1.1 Reviewing the Exponent Laws • MHR 9
 4x 2 –2a2 3
3a 4 9. Evaluate.
g) 
3y  h)
 

3y3
i)
  4
–b a) 
6
b) 
m–3 0
  −1
c) 4 + 2
−3
x + y0
0
2
2m –2 6ab3 3
4x–3y4 –2 n
j) 
 
n3
k)
 

2ab
l)
  
8x2y–2 3–3 + 3–4
d) 
(64 + 46)0
e) 
3–5 3–1
Apply, Solve, Communicate We b C o n n e c t i o n
www.school.mcgrawhill.ca/resources/
10. History The Burgess Shale in British To learn more about the fossils in the Burgess
Columbia’s Yoho National Park contains Shale, visit the above web site. Go to Math
one of the world’s best fossil collections. Resources, then to MATHEMATICS 11, to find
The fossils are about 5.4 × 108 years old. out where to go next. Describe why fossils in the
This is about 4.5 × 104 times as old as the first Burgess Shale are so well preserved.
known human settlement in British Columbia. About
how many years ago did humans first settle in British Columbia?
B
11. Application A piece of wood burns completely in one second at 600°C.
The time the wood takes to burn is doubled for every 10°C drop in temperature
and halved for every 10°C increase in temperature. In how many seconds would
the wood burn at
a) 500°C? b) 650°C?

12. Inquiry/Problem Solving Use brackets to make each statement true.

Justify your solution.
−2 −4 −2 −4
a) 2 × 2 + 2 − 2 = 2 3 −3 ÷3 −3 =3
2 2 0 0 0 2
b)

13. Without evaluating the expressions, determine which is greater, 20100 or 40040.
C
14. Evaluate.
61 + 6–1 5–4 − 5–6
 
1
a)  b)  c) 2−n(2n − 21 + n ) d) 3 32x − 
61 − 6–1 5–3 + 5–5 3–2x
15. Communication a) For which non-zero real values of x is
−4 −4
−x = (−x) ? Explain.
−3 −3
b) For which non-zero real values of x is −x = (−x) ? Explain.

16. Equations Determine the value of x.

x × x = 32 x5 ÷ x2 = 64 x–1 × x–3 = 1 x2 ÷ x5 = 1
2 3
a) b) c) d)
81 125
17. For which values of x is x−4 ÷ x−4 = 1 true? Explain.
10 MHR • Chapter 1