LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, students are able

to :
(a) define an index.
(b) state the rules of indices.
(c) apply the rules of indices.
(d) solve equations involving indices.
 The index of a number says how many times to use
the number in a multiplication.

In 32 the "2" says to use 3 twice in a multiplication,

so 32 = 3 × 3 = 9

We read 32 as “3 to the power 2"

Indices are the plural of index, and also called Exponents or Powers.
 +
For all a  R and n  Z (positive integer),

a  a  a  ...  a = a n

n
a = base a to the
n = exponent or power or index power n
an = an exponential expression
NOTE

Index Example

a =a
1
5 =5
1

a =1
0
5 =1
0

0
0 indeterminate
NOTE
INDEX EXAMPLE

a = a  a  ...  a
n 5 = 5 5 5
3

a =1 5 =1
0 0

−n 1 1 1
a = n −3
5 = 3=
a 5 555
m 1

a n
= n
a m 5 = 5
3 3
Example 1
Evaluate :
4 −2
(a) 10 (b) 7

1
0
(c) 13 (d) 25 2
 RULE EXAMPLE
1 m+ n
a a =a
m n
2 2 =2
3 4 3+ 4
=2 7

m
a m−n 2 5

2 n
=a 3
5−3
=2 =2 2

a 2
3
(a )
m n
=a mn
(2 )
3 2
=2 32
=2 6

( ab ) =a b (3 4)
4 n n n
=3 4
2 2 2

n
 
n 2
 
2
a a 2 2
5   = n , b0   = 2
b b 3 3
NOTE
−2 1
 2 =
   2
2

 3   −2
 3 2
 2  3
= 
= 2
1  
2   3  2
 32 
 
2
3 −n
= 2 n
2  a  b
  =  
b a
2
 3
= 
 2
Example 2
Write in a single index term :
(a) ( 16 )
2 1

(b) 
27  3

 8 
(c) 2  4 2 (d) 5  7
4 4

1
−
3  11 
(f) 1 
2
6
(e) 2  25 
6
Example 3
Simplify the following :
2
y y
5 6 18 x
(a) (b) 4 5
y 4 3x y
 n+2
(c) (3m )  4m
2 3 −2
(d) 3  9  27
n n
Example 4 Solve the equations.
x
(a) 6 = 36
x x− 2  16  8
(b)   =
 81  27
 x
(c) 2 4 x −1
=8 2 x −1
( d ) 125 − 25 = 0
x x2
Example 5
Solve the equations.
(a ) 2 = 5
x −2 x
(b) 3 =7
note MUST BE
POSITIVE
NUMBER

IF 2 = −3
x

THEN we conclude the equation has no solution or

the solution does not exist.

Only a  0 has solution.

x

17
Example 6
Solve:
( a ) 2 + 4(2 ) − 32 = 0
2x (a) 22t + 4(2t ) − 32 = 0
x
( b ) 4 − 6(2 ) − 16 = 0
x x
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, students are able
to :

(a) define surds.

(b) express surds in the simplified form.
(c) perform algebraic operation on surds.
(d) solve equations involving surd.
A surd is an irrational number which is
expressed in terms of root signs.

n
a
Examples:
2, 7, 3 5
NOTE
➢ When we can't simplify a number to remove a square root (or cube root
etc) then it is a surd.
➢ The surds does not have exact value. They have a decimal which goes on
forever without repeating.
SURD
NUMBER SIMPLIFIED AS A DECIMAL OR
NOT A SURD

5 5 2.2360679775...

9 3 3.0
3
11 3
11 2.2239800...
3
8 2 2.0
 RULE EXAMPLE
1
a  b = ab 2 3 = 6
2
a a = a = a
2
2 2 = 2
3 3
3 a
=
a =
b 5 5
b

4 a b  c b = (a  c) b 2 3  4 3 = ( 2  4) 3
caution1

2  5 = 2  5 = 10

−2  −5 = (−2)(−5) = 10
caution2

a  b = ab
( ) = ( a) + ( b)
2 2 2
a+ b

( a  b ) = (a + b)  2 ab
2
 Simplifying surds.
1. Find a square number that is a factor of the number under the root.
Square numbers are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, …

2. Rewrite the surd as a product of this square number and another

number, then evaluate the root of the square number.
SQUARE
EXAMPLE NUMBER

8 = 4 2
RULE 1
= 4 2
=2 2
Example 1
Simplify :
20
(a) 45 (b)
49
(c) 48 − 27 (d) 6 8 + 3 72
 ( ) (
(e) 2 3 − 5 2 + 7 3 + 2 2 )
Example 2
Evaluate the following:

(a) 2 ( )(
3 2 3 ) (b)6 ( 5 )(3 2 )
(c) ( )(
3+ 2 2 3+7 2 ) (
(d) 4 − 5 )
2
(e) ( 3+ 2 )( 3− 2 )
 RATIONALISING THE DENOMINATOR

a numerator

b denominator

❑ To be in "simplest form" the denominator

should not be irrational.

❑ Making the denominator rational

is called "Rationalising the Denominator"

1 2
irrational 2 rational
2
Method
Multiply Both Top and Bottom by the
Conjugate of the Denominator
What is a conjugate?
SURD CONJUGATE NOTE
The conjugate is the same as the
a a original

a+ b a− b
Only the sign in between the
expression changes
a− b a+ b
Conjugate of a+ b is a− b

( a+ b )( a− b )
= a − a b + a b −b
= a −b rational

( a+ b )( a− b ) = a −b
Example 3

Rationalise the following:

14 1
(a) (b)
7 − 5
 1
(c)
7− 2
 2+3
(d)
2 +1
 1 + 3  1 − 3 
(e)  + 
1 − 3  1 + 3 
Example 4
Solve the following equations :
(a) 3 x + 1 − x = −1
Check by substituting the values of x both sides
3x + 1 = x − 1
When x = 0 When x = 5
(b) x−2+ x+3=5
Check

x−2+ x+3=5
(c) 3x + 1 = 3 − x
Check
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, students are able to :

(a) define logarithm.

(b) express the laws of logarithms.
(c) change the base of logarithm.
(d) solve equations involving logarithms.

46
A logarithm is defined as the power to which a
number must be raised to get some other values.

Example:

3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81

3 = 81
4

The logarithm is 4

We write log 3 81 = 4
 If n = a , then log a n = x
x

+
where a, n  R and a  1.

If a = 10, log10 → common logarithm

If a = e, log e or ln → natural logarithm

48
 NOTES EXAMPLE

1
log10 n = log n log10 3 = log 3
2 log a a = 1 log 5 5 = 1
3
log a 1 = 0 log 2 1 = 0
4
a log a x
=x 4 log 4 x
=x
 NOTES EXAMPLE

1
log e x = ln x log e 3 = ln 3
2
log e e = ln e = 1

log e 1 = ln1 = 0
3

4
e log e x
=e ln x
=x e ln x 2
=x 2
Example 1
Express the following expressions in their equivalent form.

INDEX LOGARITHM
1
5 = 125
3

2 log b a = −1
3
y=5 x

4
ln y = 3x
If a, M, N  R+ , a  1 and b  R, then
EXAMPLE
1
log a MN = log a M + log a N log 2 + log 3 = log 6

M 5
2 log a = log a M − log a N log 5 − log 4 = log
N 4

3 log a M = b log a M
b
log x = 3log x
3
caution

log a ( M + N ) = log a M + log a N

log a M
= log a M − log a N
log a N

(log a M ) = p log a M
p
Example 2 Simplify the following logarithm:
1
(a) log10 16 + log10 25 (b) ln 30 - ln 2 - ln 3
2

54
 log 2 32 2log5 4
(c) d) 5
log 2 4

55
Example 3

Express log b 2 x − 5log b y + 1 as a single logarithm.

56
Example 4
3
b
Express log a in terms of log a, log b and log c.
c

57
Example 5
Given that ln t 3 − ln u = 3ln v, express u in terms of t and v.

58
A general formula for changing from base a to base b

log b M
log a M =
log b a

note
log b b
log a b =
log b a
1
=
log b a 59
Example 6
Evaluate log8 0.25

60
Example 7
Given that log10 2 = 0.301and log10 7 = 0.8451
evaluate log 2 28
note MUST BE
POSITIVE
NUMBER

IF 2 = −3 → log 2 ( −3) = x
x

MUST BE
POSITIVE
NUMBER

THEN

we conclude the equation has no solution or

the solution does not exist.
62
Example 8
Solve the following equations:
(a) log 2 (2 x + 1) = 2

63
(b) log 3 ( x − 10) = 1 + log 3 ( x − 2)
2
Check

65
(c) 2 ln x = ln(6 − x) + ln 3
Example 9
Solve the following equations:
(a) log 5 x = log x 25

67
(b) log 4 x + log x 4 = 2.5