School of Science and Technology, Singapore

Mathematics Department
Secondary 2
Unit 20. Indices and Its Laws
Name Aden Chua Ming Zhao ( 5 ) Class S2− 05 Date

Worksheet 20.1 Laws of Indices [Assignment 1]

1. Evaluate each of the following without the use of a calculator, leaving your answer as
a fraction where appropriate.

(a) 80 = 1  (b) (−8)0 = 1 

0
!1$
(c) 0
−8 = −1  (d) # & = 1
"8%
0 0
!1$ ! 1$
(e) 0
8x = 8  (f) 8# & − #− & = 7 
"8% " 8%

−1
1 !1$
(g) 5−1 = ​5  (h) # & = 5
" 5%
−1
! 1$ 5
(i) #1 & = ​6  (j) (1.5)−1 = ​2 
" 5% 3

2. Simplify each of the following, expressing your answer in positive index form.

(a) 5a −1 = ​ 
5 (b) (5a)−1 = ​ 1 
a 5a

−1
! 5$ a 5 5
(c) # & = ​5  (d) =​ 
"a% a −1 a

−1
1 !1$
(e) = ​1 a  (f) # & = 5a 
5a −1 5 " 5a %

−1
a −1 1 !1 $ 5
(g) = ​  (h) # a& = ​ 
5 5a "5 % a
3. Simplify each of the following, leaving your answer in positive index form.

(a) (x −5 )2 × (x 3 )−4 (b) x 3 ÷ (x 2 )6

= ​1  = 1
x22 ​9 
x

(c) (a −5b 2 )−1 (d) 5a 0 ÷ 3a −4 b × ab

a5 5a3
=​2 =​ 2
b 3b

(e) 5p 4 × 3q 2 ÷ pq −3 (f) −24 p−1 ÷ (3pq −2 )2

= 15p3q5  −8q4
=​ 3 
3p

(g) (2xy)3 ÷ 2(x 2 y −3 )4 (h) (3x −3 y −1 )2 × (−4x 3 y −1 )3

4y15
=​ 5 576x3
x =−​ 5 
y

(4 p−2 q 3 )2 (j) (3p)0 ÷ ( p3q)−1

(i)
8q 6 p−1
= p3q 
= 2p−3 

b # a2 &
−2
(k) (−a10 )0 × 3b−6 ÷ (l) 2 −1 3
(a b ) × % 3 ( ÷ ab−1
a $b '
3a
=​7  = ab2 
b
 !1 2$
−2
4 x 5 y × (x 2 )−2
(m) # x & × −3 −3 (n)
"2 % (x ) (x −1 y)2 ÷ x
4
16 x
= ​ 13  = ​y 
x

ab n c n d b n+2 (a + b)n (a + b)n+1 2(ab)−1

(o) × ÷ (p) ÷ ×
bc cd c n−3 2bc 2 (2abc)2 c0
4a
= abcn−5  = ​a + b