Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3A
Exploratory Activity

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

Section A: What is a0?

34 means 3 multiplied by itself 4 times, i.e. 3333 = 81. But what does 30 mean?

1. Fill in the next 3 rows in the table below. Then answer Q2-Q6 before filling in the last row.

Value
34 81 
3
3

32

31
30


2. What number must you divide 81 in the first row to get 27 in the second row? ______

3. What number must you divide 27 in the second row to get 9 in the third row? ______

4. What number must you divide 9 in the third row to get 3 in the fourth row? ______

5. Continuing this pattern, what number must you divide 3 in the fourth row to get the number in the last
row? _______

6. So what is 30? _______ (Complete the last row of the table in Q1.)

Page 3- 1
7. Fill in the next 3 rows in the table below.

Value
(−2)4 16 
3
−8
(−2)

(−2)2

(−2)1
(−2)0


8. Does the pattern work for 00? Why or why not? _____________________________________

Value
04 0 
3
0

9. Generalising, if a  0, a0 = ________ .
Complete the following: 70 = ________ ; (−5)0 = ________

Section B: What is a–n?

In this section we want to find out what 3–1 and 3–2 are equal to.

10. Continuing the same pattern as above, complete the table below.

Value
32 9 3
1
3 3
3
0
3 1
−1

3

3−2

11. Continuing the same pattern as above, complete the table below.

Value
(−2)2 4 (−2)
(−2) 1
−2
(−2)
(−2)0

(−2)−1
(−2)−2


Page 3- 2
12. Generalising, if a  0, a–n = ___________ .

13. What do you think 0−2 is? Why?

14. Complete the following:

(a) 4−2 = ________ = ________ (c) (−6)−2 = ________ = ________

(b) 5−3 = ________ = ________ (d) (−7)−1 = ________ = ________

Section C: Conclusion

Complete the following laws of indices:

If a  0, a0 = ___________ and a–n = ____________ .

Adapted from worksheet by Joesph Yeo, NIE

Introduction To Indices

What indices are

Indices is another word for powers - the singular of indices is index. They are useful (not only in
mathematics, but also in physics, astronomy and other sciences) because they enable us to write large and
small numbers very concisely.

Writing indices
Indices are used as a shorthand way of writing a repeated multiplication of the same number. So, instead of
writing 2 × 2 × 2, we can write 23 - this means 2 × 2 × 2, not 2 × 3. In 23, 2 is called the base and 3 the index.
Similarly, in 45 (ie 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4), 4 is the base and 5 the index.

Reading indices
When you are reading indices, you can say them more or less the way they are written. So 54 is read as 'five to
the power of four'. Anything to the power of two, eg 42, is read as '... to the power of two' or '... squared',
whilst anything to the power of three, eg 53, can be read as '... to the power of three' or '... cubed'.

Product of factors
Just as 2 × 2 × 2 can be shortened to 23, we can expand 23 as a product of factors. So, 23, expanded as a
product of factors, becomes 2 × 2 × 2. Similarly, 64 is 6 × 6 × 6 × 6.

Performing calculations with indices

We can perform calculations with indices, eg 35 × 24 and 43 × 47. However, in the first pair of examples the
bases are different (3 and 2), whilst in the second pair they are the same (4 and 4). We'll look at calculations
involving the same base later in the Lesson.

Page 3- 3
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3B
Laws of Indices I

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

Examples:

LAW OF ADDITION

Simplify each of the following

1. x 4  x 5 2. a 3  a 9 3. 5p 3  p 6

4. m  9m 4 5. 2p 2  3p 3 6. 7a 5  8a 7

7. a 7 b 3  b 4 8. h 5 k 4  h 2 k 3 9. 9x 2 y 3  5x 4 y 2

Page 3- 4
LAW OF SUBTRACTION

Simplify each of the following.

1. x 7  x 5 2. a 13  a 9 3. 5p 8  p 6

4. m 7  9m 4 5. 2p12  3p 3 6. 7a15  8a 7

7. a 7 b 9  b 4 8. h 5 k10  h 2 k 3 9. 9x 6 y 3  5x 4 y 2

Page 3- 5
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3C
Laws of Indices II

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

ZERO INDEX

NEGATIVE INDEX

Examples:
EXERCISE 1:
1. 40 6. -40 11. (-4)0

2. 41 7. -41 12. (-4)1

3. 4-1 8. -4-1 13. (-4)-1

4. 42 9. -42 14. (−4) 2

5. 4-2 10. -4-2 15. (−4) −2

Page 3- 6
EXERCISE 2:
0 0 0
1 1  1
1.   5. −  9. − 
9 9  9

−1 −1 −1
1 1  1
2.   6. −  10. − 
9 9  9

2 2 2
1 1  1
3.   7. −  11. − 
9 9  9

−2 −2 −2
1 1  1
4.   8. −  12. − 
9 9  9

EXERCISE 3:
Simplify, giving your answers in the positive index form whenever possible.

1. t0 4. 4t 0 7. − 4t 0

2. t −1 5. 4t −1 8. − 4t −1

3. t −2 6. 4t −2 9. − 4t −2

Page 3- 7
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3D
Laws of Indices III

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

1.
(a m ) n = a mn 2.
(ab) = a bm m m 3. a m am
( ) = m
b b

Challenge!
a b
Show that ( ) − m = ( ) m , where a, b  0.
b a

Examples:

EXERCISE 1
Rewrite each of the following in the form that contains no parentheses (brackets).

1. (a 2 ) 3 2. (a 0 ) 3 3. (a −2 ) 3 4. (a 5 ) −3

5. (−a 2 ) 3 6. (−a 0 ) 3 7. (−a −2 ) 2 8. (−a 5 ) −3

Page 3- 8
EXERCISE 2:
Rewrite each of the following in the form that contains no parentheses (brackets).

1
1. (ab ) 4 2. (2a 2 ) 3 3. (2a 2 b 3 ) 4 4. ( a 3 b 2 ) −1
2

1
5. (a −1b) 4 6. (−2a 2 ) 3 7. (−2a −2 b 3 ) 4 8. (− a 3 b 2 c 2 ) −1
2

EXERCISE 3
Rewrite each of the following in the form that contains no parentheses (brackets).

a 2 3 a2 4 1 −1
1. ( ) 4 2. ( ) 3. ( ) 4. ( )
b a2 b3 2a 3

a −2 4 2 − a2 4 1 −1
5. ( ) 6. ( −2
)3 7. ( ) 8. (− )
b a b3 2a 3

Page 3- 9
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3E
Laws of Indices IV

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

FRACTIONAL INDICES
1
1. a n = n a where a  0 and n is a positive integer.

1 1
Example: a 2 = a ; 83 =3 8 =2

m
2. a n = n a m or ( n a ) m where a  0 and n is a positive integer and m  n

Example: 32 = ( 32 ) = ( 2 )
5 5 2 5 5 2

= 22 = 4

Examples:

EXERCISE 1:
Evaluate each of the following.

1 3
1. 49 2 4. 81 4

1
2. 27 3

1
 1 4
5.  
2
 16 
3. 125 3

Page 3- 10
EXERCISE 2:
Rewrite each of the following in the index form.

1. a12 a 5b6
4. 3
c4

3
2. a12

3
3. 27a 12
p
bn
5.
am

EXERCISE 3:
Simplify each of the following, giving your answers in the radical/surd form.

1. 3  18

2. 27  6

4. 4
125  6 5

3. 4
125  6 5
Page 3- 11
EXERCISE 4:
Simplify each of the following.

1 2
1. a 3  a 7

1 2
−
2. a3 a 7

1 2
−
3. a 3 a7

1 2
4. 2a 3  (−3)a 7

Page 3- 12
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3F
Equations Involving Indices

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

Examples:

EXERCISE 1:
Simplify the following.

1. 33n +1  9  3n +1 3. (3  2n+2 – 6  2n)  2n+1

Page 3- 13
 n
n −2
4 2 25 2
2. 4. 5n +1 –
2 n − 2 n −1 1
5

EXERCISE 2:
Solve the following equations.

1
1. 3m = 81 2. 2 n = 3. 6 p = 216
8

4. 2 m  2 3 = 2 6 5. 5 n  5 4 = 50 6. 32 x = 0.25

Page 3- 14
EXERCISE 3:
Find the value of x which satisfies each of the following equations.

1. 2 6 x +3  43x +6 = 83x +7 5. 3-x = 1

2. 2 6 x +3  43x +6 = 85 x +6 6. (253)2 x 125 = 5x

Page 3- 15
 1
3. 43x = 32 7. 32x+0.2 = 30.2 + 30.2 + 30.2

4. 3x-2 = 147

Page 3- 16
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Assignment 3A- Indices

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date of Submission

Remarks:

1. Evaluate the following.

0
 7
a.  2  b. (− 8)−2 c. 7 7  7 5
 10 

−2 −2
3 1 23 1
d.   +   e. [( 2 2 ) −1 ]0 f. 
4  3 3 2
64

1 1 −1 0
1  1
g. 8 3  256 4 h.   − −  i. (1 + 2 −1 + 3−1 )  (2 + 2 −2 + 3−2 )
4  2

2. Simplify the following, giving your answers in positive index form.

a. ( 3a 2 b 3 ) −3  4a 5 b 4 b. (5b 0 )  (5b) 0  (5 0 b) c. 20a −4 b  5a 5 b  3ab 5

(a 2 b) 2 (ab 3 ) 3 1
(6x 2 ) 4 y 3  (2xy 2 ) 3
d. e. (9a 8 b 6 ) 2  8a 2 b 2 f.
(ab 2 ) −5 ( x 2 y) 2

Page 3- 17
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Assignment 3B- Indices

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

1. Simplify the following.

a. 625 x  25 x

4 n +1
−n
− 8n
b. 2 3n + 2
2

m m−n
 x m+n   xn 
c.  n    n −m
 x


 x   

3n a 2b 3  3 (27 −1 a 3b 6 )
d.
3n + 2  3n

2. If a + b = 6 , ab = −3 , then what is the value of (a −1 + b −1 ) −1 ?

3. Show that 3n +1 + 3n + 3n −1 is a multiple of 13 for all positive integral values of n .

4. Given that x2y = 7, find the value of 3x-4y – 1.

Page 3- 18
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Assignment 3C- Equations Involving Indices

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date of Submission

1. Find the value of x if

a) 3x+1 = 27

b) 252x-1  5x = 125

−x 1
c) 8 .  32 =
2x
64

1
d) x4 = 3

e) x −4 = 256

2. Given that 3m = 81 , find m .

1
Given that 2 =
n
3. , find n .
32

4. Given that 5p 3 = 320 , find p .

5. Given that 9 2 m−1 = 27 2 m−5 , find m .

1
Solve ( 4 ) = 0.125
2 x −1 2 x−5
6.

4 x  8 2 x +1 1
7. Solve = .
16 x 32

Page 3- 19
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Worksheet 3G
Standard Form

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date:

Part 1: Introduction to Standard Form

Definition

A number written in the standard form or in scientific notation is represented by

A  10 n where 1  A  10 and n is an integer.

Computation in Standard Form

Addition: 2.43 10 3 + 3.24 10 4 Subtraction: 2.43 10 3 − 3.24 10 4
= 2.43 10 3 + 32.4 10 3 = 2.43 10 3 − 32.4 10 3
= (2.43 + 32.4) 10 3 = (2.43 − 32.4)  10 3
= 34.83 10 3 = − 29.97 10 3
= 3.483 10 4 = − 2.997 10 4

Multiplication: 2.43 10 3  3.24 10 4 Division: 2.43 10 3  3.24 10 4
= (2.43  3.24)  (10 3  10 4 ) = (2.43  3.24)  (10 3  10 4 )
= 7.8732 10 3+4 = 0.75 10 3−4
= 7.8732 10 7 = 0.75 10 −1
= 7.5 10 −2

Page 3- 20
Part 2: Examples

EXERCISE 1:
Simplify the following

1. 1012 10 3 2. 10 9 10 −5 3. 10 −2 10 −7

4. 1012  10 3 5. 10 9  10 −5 6. 10 −2  10 −7

10 9 10 9 10 9  10 −3
7. 8. 9.
10 −7  10 5 10 −7  10 5 10 7  10 −5

EXERCISE 2:
Evaluate the following and express your answer in the standard form.

1. 6.328  10 4 + 5.27  10 3 2. 6.328  10 −4 + 5.27  10 −3

Page 3- 21
3. 6.328  10 4 − 5.27  10 3 4. 6.328  10 −4 − 5.27  10 −3

5. 6.328  10 4  5.27  10 3 6. 6.328  10 −4  5.27  10 −3

7. 6.328 104  5.27 10−3 8. 6.328 10−4  5.27 103

Page 3- 22
Challenge:
If the estimated time for a spaceship to travel from Earth to Mars, which is 78 000 000 km away, is
260 days, find its speed in m/s. Express your answer in standard form , correct to 3 significant figures.

Page 3- 23
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form

Assignment 3D- Standard Form

Name: ( ) Grade:

Class: Date of Submission

Remarks:

1. Evaluate the following, giving your answers in standard form.

8.4 10 5 (3  10 2 ) 3 21(3.0  10 2 )

a. b. c.
2.110 4 2.7  10 9 7.0  10 3

2. Evaluate and then express 5(13  10 5 ) 2 in the form A  10 n where 1  A  10 and n is an integer.

3. Given that x = 8.4 10 5 and y = 2.1  10 4 , evaluate 8x − 3y , and express your answer in the
standard form.
4. Given that x = 3.6 10 −2 , evaluate and express your answer in the standard form and corrected to 4
significant figures where applicable.

a) 4 x 2 + x b) 2(3x )

5. Evaluate each of the following , giving your answer in standard form.

a) (254  104)  (2  10-3)

b) 2.55  10-8 + 8.71  10-7

6. A thumb drive has a storage capacity of 4 GB. How many documents of size 25 KB can it store?
Express your answer in standard form. ( 1 GB = 106 KB, 1 KB = 1000 B)

7. The minimum distance of the planet Venus from the sun is 108 000 000 km while that of planet
Saturn is 135 000 000 000 km. Find the difference between their distances from the sun in metres,
expressed in standard form, correct to 3 significant figures.

Page 3- 24
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form – Reading 1

Page 3- 25
Page 3- 26
Page 3- 27
Page 3- 28
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2023) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form – Reading 2

The International System of Units specifies twenty SI prefixes:

SI prefixes

1000m 10n Prefix Symbol Since[1] Number Name Decimal

10008 1024 yotta Y 1991 Septillion 1000000000000000000000000

10007 1021 zetta Z 1991 Sextillion 1000000000000000000000

10006 1018 exa E 1975 Quintillion 1000000000000000000

10005 1015 peta P 1975 Quadrillion 1000000000000000

10004 1012 tera T 1960 Trillion 1000000000000

10003 109 giga G 1960 Billion 1000000000

10002 106 mega M 1960 Million 1000000

10001 103 kilo k 1795 Thousand 1000

10002⁄3 102 hecto h 1795 Hundred 100

10001⁄3 101 deca da 1795 Ten 10

Page 3- 29
 10000 100 (none) (none) NA One 1

1000−1⁄3 10−1 deci d 1795 Tenth 0.1

1000−2⁄3 10−2 centi c 1795 Hundredth 0.01

1000−1 10−3 milli m 1795 Thousandth 0.001

1000−2 10−6 micro µ 1960[2] Millionth 0.000001

1000−3 10−9 nano n 1960 Billionth 0.000000001

1000−4 10−12 pico p 1960 Trillionth 0.000000000001

1000−5 10−15 femto f 1964 Quadrillionth 0.000000000000001

1000−6 10−18 atto a 1964 Quintillionth 0.000000000000000001

1000−7 10−21 zepto z 1991 Sextillionth 0.000000000000000000001

1000−8 10−24 yocto y 1991 Septillionth 0.000000000000000000000001

1. The metric system was introduced in 1795 with six prefixes. The other dates relate to recognition by a resolution of the CGPM.

Page 3- 30
Page 3- 31
Page 3- 32
Page 3- 33
Adapted from:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_prefix#List_of_SI_prefixes
2. GE Resources

Page 3- 34
 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 2 (2022) IP Enriched Mathematics

Topic 3: Indices & Standard Form (Revision)

A Simplify the following and express your answers in positive index form where applicable.

1. 4a 3  3a −4  9a −6

2. 8( x −2 y 3 ) 4  (2 xy 2 ) −2

3. 3
x 2  x −1  x

4. 4
81x −32 y −4  3 8−2 ( xy) −3

( − x 3 ) −6  ( y 2 ) −4
5.
( x −9 ) 2  ( − y ) 3

B Evaluate the following:

1. (81−1 ) 4

1 1

92  82
2.
2

1 2
3. ( )3 + 4 −1 + ( ) − 2
2 3
3

4. 8− 2  16 2

C Solve the following index equations:

1. 3x 4 = 2
−1

2. x4 =2

3. 2  253 x+1 = 10

1
4. ( ) x = 243
9

1
5.  27 x = 121.5
2 3 x

Page 3- 35
D Standard Form

1. If p = 3.6 X 10-2 and q = 1.8 X 10-3, evaluate the following and express your answer in standard form:

i. p+q

5q
ii.
p

iii. pq

iv. 8p – 9q

2. In 2004, the population of Europe is approximately 7.0  10 8 and the population of Asia is
approximately 3.5  10 9 .
(i) Giving your answer in standard form, calculate how many more people live in Asia than
in Europe.
(ii) Express the population of Europe as a percentage of the population of Asia.

Answer Key

4 5 32 y 16 1 12 1
1. a 2. 3. 5
4. 5. −
3 x6 6 x7 y 11
x

1 5
1. 2. 6 3. 2 4. 1
27 8

16 1 1
1. 2. 3. − 4. – 2.5 5. 2.5
81 16 6

i) 3.78 x 10-2

ii) 2.5 x 10-1

iii) 6.48 x 10-5

iv) 2.718 x 10-1

2. 2.8 x 109

3. 20%

Page 3- 36