1

Section 10.2: Rational Exponents

Review of Radicals
𝑛
Example: √𝑎
Definition: 𝑛 is the root and 𝑎 is called the radicand. It
means find the number that when raised to the 𝑛th
power, it equals 𝑎.

Note: Square root is the smallest radical and the two (for
square) is the root but it is not written. It is understood
to be there.
2
Example: √9 = √9 = 3 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 32 = 9

Note: When looking for the answer of a radical, find

what number that if you multiply 𝑛 number of them, it
will give you 𝑎.

Examples
1. √64 The root is two so what number if you multiply
two of them equals 64.
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 8 × 8 = 64 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 √64 = 8
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3
2. √8 The root is three so what number if you multiply
three of them equals 8.
3
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 √8 = 2

4
3. √81 The root is four so what number if you multiply
four of them equals 81.
4
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 √81 = 3
Exercise
4
1. √16

4
Answer: 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 16 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 √16 = 2

Rational Exponents
Definition
Rational exponents are exponents in the form of a
fraction.
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1
Definition of 𝑎 (The denominator is the root)
𝑛

1 𝑛
𝑎 = √𝑎
𝑛

Examples
1
1. 25 = √25 = 5
2

1 3
2. 64 = √64 = 4
3

1
3. −81 = −√81 = −9
2

1 3
4. 5𝑥 3 = 5 √𝑥
Exercise
1
1. 36 2

1
2. 125 3

Answer:
1
1. 36 = √36 = 6
2

1 3
2. 125 = √125 = 5
3
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Note: For the exponent on the variable, divide the

exponent by the root.
1 3
12 )3
5. (27𝑥 = √27𝑥 12 = 3𝑥 4

1 4
6. (16𝑥 8 )4 = √16𝑥 8 = 2𝑥 2

Exercise
1
(64𝑥 10 )2

1
10 )2
Answer: (64𝑥 = √64𝑥 10 = 8𝑥 5

𝑚
Definition of 𝑎 𝑛 (The numerator m is the exponent; the
denominator n is the root)
𝑚 𝑛 𝑛 𝑚
𝑎 = √𝑎 𝑚 = ( √𝑎 )
𝑛

[There are times when we use one form or the other]

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Steps to Solving
𝑛
Step 1: Find the √𝑎
𝑛
Step 2: Raise the √𝑎 to the 𝑚𝑡ℎ power.

Examples
3 3
1. 4 = (√4) [3 is the exponent and 2 is the root]
2

Step 1: √4 = 2

Step 2: 23 = 8

3
Answer: 4 = 8
2

3 4 3
2. −164 = −( √16) [3 is the exponent and 4 is the
root]
4
Step 1: √16 = 2

Step 2: −(23 ) = −8

3
Answer: −16 = −8 4
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2 3 2
3. (−27) = ( √−27) [2 is the exponent and 3 is the
3

root]

3
Step 1: √−27 = −3

Step 2: (−3)2 = 9

3
Answer: (−27) = 9 2

3 3
1 2 1
4. ( ) = (√ ) [3 is the exponent and 2 is the root]
9 9

1 1
Step 1: √ =
9 3

1 3 1
Step 2: ( ) =
3 27

3
1 2 1
Answer: (9 ) =
27
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2 3 2
6 )3
5. (27𝑥 = ( √27𝑥 6 ) [2 is the exponent and 3 is
the root]

3
Step 1: √27𝑥 6 = 3𝑥 2

Step 2: (3𝑥 2 )2 = 31×2 𝑥 2×2 = 9𝑥 4

2
Answer: (27𝑥 6 )3 = 9𝑥 4

Exercise
5 4 5
1. 16 = ( √16)
4

Answer
4
Step 1: √16 = 2

Step 2: 25 = 32

5
Answer: 16 = 32
4
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Other form
5
6. 𝑥 [5 is the exponent and 6 is the root]
6

5 6
Answer: 𝑥 = √𝑥 5
6

3
7. (4𝑥 − 1) [3 is the exponent and 5 is the root]
5

5 3
Answer: (4𝑥 − 1) = √(4𝑥 − 1)3
5

−𝑚
Definition of 𝑎 𝑛

−𝑚 1 1
𝑎 𝑛 = 𝑚 = 𝑛 𝑚
𝑎 𝑛 ( √𝑎 )
Step 1: Put the base and exponent under one and
change it to positive.

Step 2: Apply the rational exponent definition

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Examples
−34
1. 16
3 1
Step 1: 16−4 = 3
164

1 1 1 1
Step 2: 3 = 3 = =
4
( √16) 23 8
164

3 1
Answer: 16−4 =
8

2
2. (−27)−3
2 1
Step 1: (−27)−3 = 2
(−27)3

1 1 1 1
Step 2: 2 = 2 =( =
3
( √−27) −3)2 9
(−27)3

−23 1
Answer: (−27) =
9

Exercise
2
−3
1. 8
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Answer:
1 1 1 1
2 = 3 2 = 22 = 4
83 ( √8)

Second Definition
Step 1: Take the reciprocal and change the exponent to
positive.

Step 2: Apply the rational exponent definition.

1
Example: 2
−3
𝑥
1 2
Step 1: 2 =𝑥 3
−3
𝑥

2 3
Step 2: 𝑥 = √𝑥 2
3

1 3
Answer: 2 = √𝑥 2
−3
𝑥
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3
4 −2
Example: (9 )
3 3
4 −2 9 2
Step 1: (9 ) = (4)
3 3
9 2 9 3 3 27
Step 2: ( ) = (√ ) = ( ) =
4 4 2 8

3
4 −2 27
Answer: (9 ) =
8

Exercise
3
16 −4
1. ( )
81

3 3 3
16 −4 81 4 4 81 3 3 27
Answer: ( ) = ( ) = (√ ) = ( ) =
81 16 16 2 8
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Exponent Rules
Product Rule: (Add exponents)
Examples:
2 4 2 4 6
1. 𝑥 × 𝑥 = 𝑥
3 3 3+3 = 𝑥 = 𝑥2
3

4 3 4 3 7
+
2. 𝑦 × 𝑦 = 𝑦
5 5 5 5 =𝑦 5

1 2 1 2 3 4 3
3. 16 × 16 = 16
4 4 4+4 = 16 = ( √16) = 23 = 8
4

Exercise
2 3
1. 𝑥 × 𝑥
7 7

2 3 2 3 5
Answer: 𝑥 × 𝑥 = 𝑥
7 7 7 +7 =𝑥 7

Note: When the fractions have different denominators,

find the least common denominator. To find the new
numerators, divide the old denominators into the new
denominator then multiply that number by the old
numerators to get the new numerators. Then add the
fractions.
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1 1 1 1 3 2 5
4. 𝑥 × 𝑥 = 𝑥
2 3 2+3 =𝑥 6+6 =𝑥 6

1 2 1 2 3 8 11
5. 𝑦 × 𝑦 = 𝑦
4 3 4 +3 =𝑦 12+12 =𝑦 12

Exercise
1 5
1. 𝑦 × 𝑦
6 8

1 5 1 5 4 15 19
Answer: 𝑦 × 𝑦 = 𝑦
6 8 6+8 =𝑦 24+24 =𝑦 24

Power Rule: (Multiply exponents)

Examples:
3 2 3 6
1. (4𝑥 ) =
2 41×2 𝑥 2×2 = 42 𝑥 2 = 16𝑥 3

2 3 2 6
2. (3𝑥 ) =
3 31×3 𝑥 3×3 = 33 𝑥 3 = 27𝑥 2
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Exercise
3 4
1. (2𝑥 ) 4

3 4 3 12
Answer: (2𝑥 ) = 4 21×4 𝑥 4×4 =2 𝑥 4 4 = 16𝑥 3

Quotient Rule: (Subtract exponents)

Examples:
7
83 7 2 5 3 5
1. 2 =8 3−3 = 8 = ( √8) = 25 = 32
3
83

7
𝑥 12 7 1 7 6 1
2. 1 =𝑥 12−2 =𝑥 12−12 =𝑥 12
𝑥2

Exercise
11
𝑥 12
1. 3
𝑥4

11
𝑥 12 11 3 11 9 2 1
Answer: 3 =𝑥 12−4 =𝑥 12−12 =𝑥 12 =𝑥 6
𝑥4
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Advanced Problems
1 3 1 3 4 9 13
+ + 13 1 13 6 7
𝑥3𝑥4 𝑥3 4 𝑥 12 12 𝑥 12
1. 1 = 1 = 1 = 1 =𝑥 12−2 =𝑥 12−12 =𝑥 12
𝑥2 𝑥2 𝑥2 𝑥2

1 2
(3𝑥 3 ) 2
32 𝑥 3 2 1 8 3 5
2. 1 = 1 = 9𝑥 3−4 = 9𝑥 12−12 = 9𝑥 12
𝑥4 𝑥4

1 2 3
2 3
(𝑥 𝑦 )4 𝑥4𝑦4 2 3 3 1 2 6 3 2 −4 1
3. −1 = 3 1 = 𝑥 4−2 𝑦 4−2 = 𝑥 4−4 𝑦 4−4 = 𝑥 4 𝑦 4
−3 −1
(𝑥 𝑦 ) 2 𝑥2𝑦2
1
−1
1 1 𝑦4 1
= 𝑥 𝑦 = 𝑦4 = 4
𝑥 𝑥

1
3
16𝑎 𝑏 −5 4 1 1
4. (
𝑎−1 𝑏3
) = (16𝑎3−−1 𝑏 −5−3 )4 = (16𝑎4 𝑏 −8 )4

1 4 −8 4 −2
1 2𝑎
= 16 𝑎 𝑏 4 4 4 = √16𝑎𝑏 = 2𝑎 2 = 2
𝑏 𝑏