TESTING FOR RULES SOLUTIONS

TASK 1 Explore rules using a calculator

1 a 42 + 43 = 80 b 36 – 34 = 648
45 = 1024 32 = 9
NO, 42 + 43 and 45 are not equal. NO, 36 – 34 and 32 are not equal.
Note: 42 + 43 = 4 × 4 + 4 × 4 × 4
and 45 = 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4

2 When adding or subtracting numbers with the same base, you can/cannot add or subtract their
powers.

3 a 42 × 46 = 65 536 b 27 × 23 = 1024 (a kilobyte for computers)

48 = 65 536 221 = 2 097 152
412 = 16 777 216 210 = 1024

42 × 4 6 = 48 27 × 23 = 210

4 When multiplying numbers with the same base, add/multiply their powers.

5 a 38 ÷ 32 = 729 b 610 ÷ 62 = 1 679 616

34 = 81 68 = 1 679 616
36 = 729 65 = 7776

38 ÷ 32 = 36 610 ÷ 62 = 68

6 When dividing numbers with the same base, divide/subtract their powers.

7 a 73 × 72 = 16 807 b 106 ÷ 102 = 10 000

495 = 282 475 249 14 = 1
75 = 16 807 104 = 10 000

73 × 72 = 75 106 ÷ 102 = 104

8 When multiplying or dividing numbers with the same base, the base will stay the same/change
in the answer.
 TASK 1 Explore rules using a calculator (cont’d)

9 a 32 × 53 = 1125 b 185 ÷ 93 = 2592

155 = 759 375 22 = 4
32 × 53 and 155 are NOT equal.
185 ÷ 93 ≠ 22
32 × 53 ≠ 155

10 When the numbers have different bases, you can/cannot collect their powers.

TASK 2 The power of zero

1 In both tables, the number to the power of zero is equal to 1.

2 80 = 1

3 A number raised to the power of zero equals 1.

4 You will get an error message because 00 is undefined, ie has no specific meaning. Zero raised to
any power is zero because you are multiplying zero by itself. But for 00 you are not really
multiplying zero by anything.
Some calculators show 00 = 1 because in some mathematical arguments, 00 is taken as 1. In some
other arguments it is taken as 0, while in others it is classified as unknown or impossible to find.