Laws of Exponents

Whenever we have variables which

contain exponents and have equal bases,
we can do certain mathematical
operations to them. Those operations
are called the Laws of Exponents
b
x
b = base x = exponent
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Laws of Exponents
( )
( )
m n n
m
n m
n
m
m
m
m
mn
n
m
m m
m
n m n m
x x
x
then m n if b
x
x
x
then n m if a
y
x
y
x
x x
y x xy x x x

+
= >
= >
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
= =
1
, . 5
, . 5
. 4 . 3
. 2 . 1
Other Properties of Exponents
1
0
= x
Any single number or variable is always to
the first power
( )
1
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 3 3 x x x a a = = = =
x
x
1
1
=

Basic Examples
=
3 2
x x =
+3 2
x
5
x
( ) =
3
4
x
=
3 4
x
12
x
( ) =
3
xy
3 3
y x
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
3
y
x
3
3
y
x
=
4
7
x
x
=

1
4 7
x
3
x
=
7
5
x
x
=
5 7
1
x
2
1
x
Basic Examples
More Examples
=
4 3
7 2 a a ( ) =
+4 3
7 2 a
7
14a
=
2 3 2
2 8 5 r r r ( ) =
+ + 2 3 2
2 8 5 r
7
80r
( ) =
3
3xy
=
3 3 3
3 y x
3 3
27 y x
=
|
.
|

\
|
2
3
2
b
a
=
2 2
2 2
3
2
b
a
2
2
9
4
b
a
( ) =
3
5 2
2 n m
=
3 5 3 2 3 1
2 n m =
15 6 3
2 n m
15 6
8 n m
=
x
x
2
8
4
=

1 2
8
1 4
x
3
4x
=
5
3
3
9
z
z
=
3 5
1
3
9
z
=
2
1
3
x
2
3
x
More Examples
=
2 2 3
7 3 xyz z y x ( ) =
+ + + 2 1 1 2 1 3
7 3 z y x
3 3 4
21 z y x
( ) =
3 2
2 3 8 xy xy xy ( ) =
+ + + + 3 1 2 1 1 1
2 3 8 y x
6 3
48 y x
( ) ( ) =
2
2
2
3 2
2 3 xy y x
( )( ) =
2 2 2 1 2 1 2 3 2 2 2 1
2 3 y x y x
=
4 2 6 4
4 9 y x y x ( ) =
+ + 4 6 2 4
4 9 y x
10 6
36 y x
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
3
2
3
3
5
ab
b a
=


3 2 3 1 3 1
3 1 3 3 3 1
3
5
b a
b a
=
6 3 3
3 9 3
3
5
b a
b a
=
6 3
3 9
27
125
b a
b a
=

3 6
3 9
27
125
b
a
3
6
27
125
b
a