SURDS &

EXPONENTIAL
FUNCTIONS
 CONTENTS OF THIS TOPIC
• Revision of index laws
• Rational (fractional) indices
• Addition or Subtraction of surds / radicals
• Multiplication of surds / radicals
• Division by surds / radicals
• Exponential functions
• Growth and decay
• Appreciation
• Compound interest
• Depreciation
• Exponential equations
Revision of index laws
Rules of Indices
Example 1

Example 2
Example 3

Example 4
Exercise 1:
 Answer Key:
Exercise 1:
 Rational
(fractional) indices
The exponent laws used previously can also be applied to
rational exponents, or exponents which are written as a fraction.
1 1 1 1

For a  0, a  a  a
2 2 2 2
 a1  a (exponent laws)
and, a a a also.
1 1 1
Likewise a  a  a  a1  a
1 3 3 3
So, a 2
a
and 3
a3 a3 a a
1
So, a 3a
3

In general,
1

a  n a for n 
n
.
m

a  n a m for a  0, n 
n
, m .
Example 5

Exercise 2:
Addition or Subtraction
of surds / radicals
Example 6

Exercise 3:
Exercise 3:
 Answer Key:
Exercise 2:
1 1 3 5 1 4 3 3 4 3
   
5 5 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 2
1a.2 , b.2 , c.2 , d .2 , e.2 , f .2 , g.2 , h.2 , i.2 , j.2
1 1 1 4 5
 
3 3 4 3 2
2a.3 , b.3 , c.3 , d .3 , e.3

Exercise 3:
3.a.24, b.  30, c.  30, d .12, e.18, f .54 2 g.12, h.24 3, i.64
4a.2 2, b.0, c. 2, d . 3, e.7 7, f .  3 5, g.6 2, h.  3 2
i.8 5, j.  3 2, k .4 3, l.10 5  10
5a.2 2  7 3, b.5 2  3, c.  7 2  4 3, d .11 5  5 2,
e.2 2  10 7, f .2 2  3 11  3, g. 6  3 2  4
h.9 3  5 7  13