Chapter 3 Exponents and Radicals

3.1 Exponents and Radicals

Exponents (or indices)

It is often necessary to multiply a number, b , by itself several times. The notation b n is

known as b to the n th power.
b n  b
bb
n factors

The number b is called the base and n is called the exponent.

1
If b  0 , then b 0  1 and b n 
bn
For examples:

a.  34   3   3   3   3  81
b.  3 4   3  3  3  3  81
0
3
c.   1
7
1 1
d.  23  
 23
8

Radicals (or Roots)

If n is a positive integer, then the n th root of a is defined as follows:

n
a  a1/ n  b means bn  a

For example,
64   64    43 
1/3 1/3
a. 3
64 means cube root of 64, 3
4
b. 23 means square root of 23

Fractional Exponents

For any fractional exponent m / n in lowest terms, where m and n are integers and n is
positive, then
bm/n   b
n
m
or bm / n  n bm

If n is even, then it is necessary that b  0 .

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 50

3.2 Laws of Exponents (or Indices)

Laws Examples
1. Multiplication b b  b
m n mn
x  x  x 3 4  x 7
3 4

2. Division bm c10
 b mn  c106  c 4
bn c6
3. Power of a power b  m n
 b mn y  2 3
 y 23  y 6

4. Power of a product a  b m  a m  b m 2  a 2 / 3  2 2 / 3  a 2 / 3
5. Power of a quotient a
m
am  p
3
p3
      3
b bm q q
6. Zero exponent b0  1 3 1
0

7. Negative exponent 1 1
b m  5 3 
bm 53
8. Fractional exponent bm / n  n bm 4 3 / 2  4 3  64  8

Example 1
For each of the following expressions, simplify and express your answers in positive
exponents:
2a 3 m 7 n
a. 6x 0 b.
4a 4 n 4 m 5

3a b   2 p q 
2
4 8 3 3 4 3  x2 
c. d. e.  
 4y 

Solution:

a. 6 x 0  6 1  6

2a 3 m 7 n 2 3 4 7 5 1 4 1 1 2 3 m2
b.   a  m  n  a  m  n 
4a 4 n 4 m 5 4 2 2an 3

c. 3a b 
4 8 3
 33  a 43  b83  27a12b 24

d.  2 p q    2   p   q 
3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3
 8 p 9 q 12  
8 p9
q12
4 y   16 y 2
2 2
 x2   4y 
2
e.    2  
 4y  x  x2
2
 
x4

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 51

Example 2
Simplify each expression and express your answers in positive exponents:

a.  2x 
0
b.
15 p 5 q 7
2 2 7
3p r q
c.  3x 2 yp
2
 
3 3 3 2
  4n 2    2 p 2 q   x3   y 
   3  4      3 
d.  m  e.  q p  f.  y  x 

Solution:

Answers:

5 p3 m3 q6 y5
a. 1 b. c. 9 x 4 y 2 p 2 d.  e.  f.
r2 64n 6 8 p6 x3

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 52

Example 3
Simplify each expression and express your answers in positive exponents.
3 / 2
y 1 / 3  p1 / 4 q 5 / 3 
a. 3  3
1/ 2 3/ 4
b.
m5 / 6
c. 1 / 2 3 / 4
y y

d. 27x 
3/ 2 2 / 3
e.  1/ 2

m  qp 

Solution:

a. 31 / 2  33 / 4  3(1 / 2)  ( 3 / 4 )  35 / 4

m5/ 6 1
b.  m 5 / 6  1  m 1 / 6  1 / 6
m m

y 1/ 3
c. 3 / 4
 y ( 1/ 3) (1/ 2)  ( 3 / 4 )
y y
1/ 2

1
 y 1 / 12  1 / 12
y

d. 27 x 
3/ 2 2 / 3
 27 
2/3
 x ( 3 / 2 )  ( 2 / 3)  9 x 1  9 x

3 / 2
 p1 / 4 q 5 / 3 
e.  1/ 2 
 
 p (1/ 4)  (1/ 2 )  q (5 / 3)  1 
3 / 2

 qp 


 p 1 / 4 q 2 / 3 3 / 2

 p 3 / 8 q 1
p3/8

q

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 53

Example 4
Simplify each expression and express your answer in positive exponents.
y m1 / 3  m1 / 2
a. x 1 / 3  x 3 / 4 b. c.
y1 / 7 m 2 / 3
1 / 3
 x1 / 4 y 2 / 3 
d. 64 p  5 / 2 2 / 3
e. 
xy 1 / 3 

 

Solution:

Answers:
1 16 x1 / 4
a. b. y 6 / 7 c. m 3 / 2 d. e.
x 5 / 12 p5/3 y1/ 3

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 54

3.3 Simplest Radical Forms
The roots of numbers can be expressed with fractional exponents or radical forms.
Exponential Form Radical Form

b n 1/ n
b n
bn  b n th root of n th power
ab1/ n  a1/ n  b1/ n n
ab  n a n b Root of a product

b 1/ m 1/ n
 b1/ mn n m
b  mn b Root of a root

a
1/ n
a1 / n a na Root of a quotient
   1/ n n 
b b b nb

Four basic requirements must be satisfied for a radical expression to be in simplest

radical form:
a. There must be no perfect n th root factor under a radical with index n .
b. Multiple radicals or radicals within radicals, must be combined.
c. The denominator of a fraction must not contain a radical (rationalization).
d. The order of the radical must be reduced, if possible.

For example,
a. 27  9  3  3 3

b. 3
5 6 5

5 5 5 2 10
c.     (rationalization)
2 2 2 2 2

d. 4
 
25 x 6  4 5 x 3
2
 5x3  x 5x

Example 5
3
Simplify a. x5 y7 b. 54m 7 n 5

Solution:

a. x5 y 7  x 4  x  y 6  y  x 2 y 3 xy

b. 3
54m7 n5  3 27  2  m6  m  n3  n2  3m2 n 3 2mn 2

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 55

Example 6
125 x2 x2
Simplify a. b. c.
3 3y 3
3y 2

Solution:
a.
125 25  5 5 5
 
3 3 3
5 5 3 5 15
  
3 3 3

b.
x2 x2 3y
 
3y 3y 3y
x2 3 y

3y

c.

x2 x2 3 9y
 
3
3y2 3
3y2 3 9y
x2 3 9 y

3
27 y 3
x2 3 9 y

3y

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 56

Example 7
343 27 x 3 24 x 6 y 8
Simplify a. 27 p 3 q 7 b. 3
686m 5 n 7 c. d. e. 3
5 2y 5z

Solution:

Answers:

2 x2 y2  3
75 y 2 z 2 
a. 3 pq 3
3 pq b. 7 mn 2
 3 2
2m n  c.
7 35
5
d.
3 x 6 xy
2y
e.
5z

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 57

3.4 Addition and Subtraction with Negative Exponents

Example 8

Simplify the following expressions and leave your answers in positive exponents:
x 1
a.
2 x 1  3 y 2
1
 3 
b.  
  2a 1  a 
 

Solution:

a.
1
x 1
 x
2 x 1  3 y 2 2  3
x y2
1
 x
2 y 2  3x
xy 2
1 2 y 2  3x
 
x xy 2
1 xy 2
  2
x 2 y  3x
y2

2 y 2  3x

b.
1
1  
 3   3 
   
  2a   a 
1

1
  a
 2a 
1
 
 3 
 
 1  2a
2

 
 2a 
1
 2a 
  3 2 
 1  2a 
1  2a 2

6a

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 58

Example 9

Simplify the following expressions and leave your answers in positive exponents:
y
a.
3x  y 1
2

1
 2t 
b.  1 3 
 t  2t 

Answers:

x2 y 2 t2  2
a. b.
x2  3 y 2t 4

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 59

 Tutorial 3 Exponents and Radicals

1. Simplify and express your answers in positive exponents:

a. 4 x 0 y 4 x 3 y 2
18m 3 n 7 q 4
b.
27n 2 q 2 m
c. 3x 2

y 5 r 4  4r 2 x 3 y 3 
5s 3 p 2 q 3
d.
125 p 7 q 2 m
e. 2 xy r   8r
2 3 3 4
x 9 y 2 
2
 3x 2 y 3 
f. 
3 x y r  
4 3 2


 4r 

2. Simplify and express your answers in positive exponents:

3/ 4
p 3 / 2 n 2 / 3  16s 3 
a. 5 1/ 2
5 3/ 2
b. c.  2 / 3 
np1 / 2 m 0  s 

3. Express each of the following in simplest radical form:

a. 72a 7 b 5
28 x 4 y 3
b.
3x 3 y 8
5
c.
3x
m5
d. 3
2n 2

4. Simplify each of the following expressions in positive exponents:

1
y 2  2y 
a. b.  
x 2  2 y 1  1   3 y  1 
 

Apr 2020 Semester Chapter 3 | Page 60