GCSE :: Laws of Indices

Dr J Frost (jfrost@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk)
@DrFrostMaths

Objectives: (a) Understand laws for multiplying power expressions,

raising a power to a power and dealing with 0 or negative
exponents. GCSE: (b) Deal with fractional exponents. (c) Deal with
problems involving a mixture of bases.

Last modified: 6th January 2019

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Terminology

! ?
“power”
“exponent” or
“index”?
(plural “indices”)
 
4
3 =3 ×3 ×3 ×3 The exponent tells us how many times the base
“Base”
? appears in a product.

! We say this as “3 to the power of 4” or “3

raised to the power of 4” or “3 to the 4”.
More on notation

4
3
   You may have heard the 4 referred to as the power. But ‘power’
refers to the whole expression ; the 4 is the exponent!

Phrase Precise meaning

“Powers of 2.”  Powers where the base is 2:

?

“3 raised to the power of 2.” .  ‘Raised’ here means ‘turned into a

power’. While “power of 2” might suggest
?
the 2 is the ‘power’, it’s really short for
“power with an exponent of 2”.
Understanding powers
When the exponent is a positive integer (whole number), it indicates how many
times the base is repeated in the multiplication.

5 appears 2 times.

2
 
?

5 =𝟓×𝟓=𝟐𝟓
?
?
?
?
It’s possible for the exponent to be fractional, 0 or negative.
We’ll deal with these later!

Warning:
  Sometimes people incorrectly
describe “” as “4 multiplied by itself 3 times”.
This would suggest there are 3 multiplications,
but actually only has 2 multiplications!
Multiplying powers
How would we simplify this?  means 3 ’s multiplied
together.

𝑥 ×𝑥 ¿ 𝑥×𝑥 ×𝑥×𝑥 ×𝑥
3 2
   

5
¿𝑥
    total we had 5 ’s
In
multiplied together.

 ! 1st law of indices:

i.e. when we multiply two powers, we

add the exponents.
Quickfire Questions
Your teacher will target various people. Do in your head!

5 4 𝟗
 

𝑥 ×𝑥 =𝒙
?
  Tip: When there is no
Fro
? exponent, you can raise
? the term to the power of 1:
?
?
?
?
Dividing Powers
How would we simplify this?

5
𝑥
 
𝑥 ×𝑥×𝑥 ×𝑥× 𝑥
 

3 ¿
𝑥 𝑥×𝑥 ×𝑥
Remember that we can simplify
2
¿𝑥
  fractions by dividing the
numerator and denominator by
the same number (or term).

 ! 2nd law of indices:

i.e. when we divide two powers, we

subtract the exponents.
Quickfire Questions
Your teacher will target various people. Do in your head!

100 2 𝟗𝟖
 

2 ÷2 =𝟐
?

?
?

?
Raising a Power to a Power
How would we simplify this?

4 3 3 3 3
(𝑥 ) ¿ 𝑥 ×𝑥 ×𝑥 ×𝑥
3
   

12
¿𝑥
 

 ! 3rd law of indices:

i.e. when we raise a power to a power,

we multiply the exponents.
Quickfire Questions
Your teacher will target various people. Do in your head!

5
  ?

3 𝟏𝟓
?

(𝑦 ) =𝒚 ?

?
?

?
?
Mastermind
Occupation: Student Insert your me
r ’s na
Favourite Teacher: Dr Frost
te ac
here
h e

Specialist Subject: Laws of

Indices
Instructions: Everyone starts by standing up. You’ll
get a question with a time limit to answer. If you run
out of time or get the question wrong, you sit down.
The winner is the last man standing.
Warm 3 Start
2 Question
× 24 = 2>?7 (2 3Start
) =
4
2 ?12
up: Question >
26 Start?3
= 2
2Question >
3
a b c
Start Start 10 911 Start?9
4 Question
7
× 43 = 4>?10 (3Question
) = 3? >
5 2 = 9
9Question >
2

d e f
5 Start4
7
Start Start 18
= 5? 7 Question
4
× 76 = 7?>10 (4 ) = 4?>
6 3
5Question >
3 Question

g
Start
(2 )
2 2
= 2
?
Question >
4
a b c
Start Start -6 10 Start? 3
7 Question
7
× 7-2 = >7? 5 (5Question
) = 5?>
3 -2 = 10 >
5Question

d e f 10
87 Start?9 Start 2 Start
_1_
= 8 8 Question
-2
× 84 = >8?2 2 = -3?
8Question >
-2 Question
8>

g h
Start x9Start
= x?1
p 2
x p=
Question >?p 3
Question
x-3 2 >
a b c
Start Start 9-2 Start0?
4Question
-2
× 4-2 =>?4-4 (3 ) = 3?>4
-2 -2
Question -2 = 9 =
Question >
9
1
d e f
10 Start 4
1
Start Start
-3= 10 1Question
× 16 = ?>110
4
? >
Question Question >
10
=1 INSTANT DEATH

g
Start Question
(5-3)2 =5
>
-6?
a b c
50 Start?2 51 xStart
52 x 5 3 (24 ×Question
Start 26)2 = ?>
-2 = 5 >
Question Question
= ?56 >
5 220
e f
Start Start
((4 ) )
1 2 3
= ?46
Question > (2Question
3
× 23)3 => ?
218
a b c
47 ×Start
43 = 4?8 (35Start
)4 = 3?17 (73Start
)3 = 7?3
Question > Question > Question >
4 2
3 3
(7 )
2 3

d e f
58 ×Start
58 =? ((32Start
)2)2= 3?6 (71)Start
3
×7 =
4 ?
Question
-1 > Question > Question >
5 × 5 516
1
3 2
(7 ) 75
2 1
 Group Challenges
   
1
What is half of ? 2 What is a ninth of
  𝟐𝟕
?
𝟐𝟕 𝟔   𝟗𝟗 𝟑𝟗𝟗
𝟑 𝟗𝟕
= ?𝟏 = 𝟐 = ?𝟐 = 𝟑
𝟐 𝟐 𝟗 𝟑

   
3 What is a 4 What is the square
quarter of ? root of ?
  𝟒𝒙𝟒𝒙   𝟒 𝟒 𝟐 𝟖
𝟒
= ?𝟏
=𝟒
𝒙 −𝟏
𝟑 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆
? (𝟑 ) =𝟑
𝟒
N  What is ?
  The LHS is .
So?
Exercise 1a Questions on provided worksheet.

1 Simplify the following. 2 Simplify the following. 3 If

  , what is in terms of ?
a   ? a  
? ?
b ?
c ? b ?  Simplify the following:
4
d ? c ? a ?
e ? b ?
f ? d ?
g ? c ?
h ? e ? d
?
i ? f ? e
j ? ?
k ? g ?
l ?
Exercise continues
m ? on next slide…
n ?
o ?
Exercise 1a Questions on provided worksheet.

5 [Edexcel
  GCSE June2003-6H Q17a] N1 Solve
 
If , , express the following in
terms of and/or :
(i) ? ?
(ii)
(iii)
? Given that , express
as a single power of 4.
? N2

6 Simplify the following.

 a) ?
b) ?
c) ? ?
Zero and negative indices
Is there a pattern we can
see that will help us out?

0 −1
   

3 3
33 = 27  ÷ 3

32 = 9
 ÷ 3
At this point, it doesn’t 31 = 3
make sense to say “The  ÷ 3
product of -1 threes”. We’ll 3 = 1?
0

have to use a different

1
approach! 3 = -1 ?
3
1
3 = -2
9?
Quickfire Questions
Your teacher will target various people. Do in your head!

𝟏 𝟏
   
? ?
A power of -1
therefore ‘flips’
? (reciprocates) the
?

−2
fraction.

−1
?

4= 6=
?
? ?

? ?

𝟒 𝟑𝟔
? ?
? ?
?
?
?
?
Mini Exercise (Exercise 1b) Questions on provided worksheet.

1  Determine the value of: N  [Edexcel GCSE June2003-6H Q17b]

Let , ,
a ?
b ? If 𝑥𝑦 = 32 and , find the value of 𝑝 and
the value of 𝑞 .
c ?
d ?
 Dividing the second equation by first:
2
Therefore
?

  (as )
?
A reminder of the Laws of Indices

𝑏 𝑐 𝑏 0
 
𝑎 × 𝑎 =𝑎 ? +𝑐  
𝑎 =1
?

 
𝑎𝑏 𝑏− 𝑐
𝑐
= 𝑎?  
𝑎 1
=𝑎
?
𝑎
  𝑏 𝑐 𝑏𝑐
(𝑎 ) =𝑎?

 
−𝑏 1
𝑎 = ?𝑏
𝑎
Fractional Indices

  1
2
𝑥 =√ 𝑥
And how could we prove this?
 
But it’s also the case that:

by laws of indices.
?
So
Fractional Indices

  1
3 3
𝑥 =√ 𝑥
?

 
1
𝑛 𝑛
𝑥 =√ 𝑥
?
Examples

1 16 0.25
 
?
=2
?

1 2

2
?   2
( √ 𝑥 ) =( 𝑥 ) =𝑥
64 =√ 𝟔𝟒=𝟖
3 2 3 ? 3
?
  1
? 3
( − 1000 ) =−
? 10
Test Your Understanding So Far…

1
 
?

2
36 = √𝟑𝟔=𝟔
?

?
 What if the numerator is not 1?
‘Workings’-wise I usually skip his
 
3 1 3 step.

9 = 9 2 ( ) =3 = 27
2 ? 3

2
…then just deal with what’s left.
 

5 2
32 =2 =4 ?
Using denominator, do 5th power of 32 first to
get 2 (but still have numerator left in the
power to deal with)
Best to deal with negative in power first. Recall this
does “1 over” the expression without the minus.
  3
−
4 1 1 1
16 = 3
=?
3
=
4 2 8
16
A few more examples

Recall that “reciprocating” a

fraction will cause it to flip.

?
Test Your Understanding

2
 
?

3 𝟐
27 =𝟑 =𝟗
?

?
Exercise 2 Questions on provided worksheet.
1
1   1
1 64
11   − 3
1
 
?
100 =10 2

1
7
64 ? =
−
3
4 27 ( ) 3
? =
3
4
   
9 − 64
2

 
125 =5
?

− 0.5
3

1
8
  −
64 3 ?=
2
1 12

16 16
3
( ) 2
? =
27
3 16 =?  
16 4 𝟐𝟕
−

  −
2
4
1
9
  2
5
32 = 4 ?
13
81 ( )=
5
𝟖
?
4
27 3
=? 3
1 14
 
8 3 𝟐𝟒𝟑
−
( )
  −
9 10 32 =?5
= ?
  4
8 27 𝟑𝟐
5 3
8 =16
?
15 Write the following expression without using
1
  −
3 1 indices:
  1
6 8 =? 2 𝑥
− 0.5
= ?
√𝑥
Applying indices to products

  2 2 2
( 𝑎𝑏 ) =𝑎 ?𝑏

2
 

( 𝑎+𝑏 ) =( 𝑎 +𝑏 ) ( 𝑎+𝑏 ) ?

  moral of the story:

The
1. Applying a power to a product applies the power to each term.
2. Applying a power to a sum does NOT apply power to each term.
i.e. in general.
Examples

  2 𝟐
(2 𝑥 ) =𝟒 𝒙 ?

  2 3 𝟔 𝟑
(3 𝑥 𝑦 ) =𝟐𝟕 𝒙
? 𝒚
  1
6 2 ? 𝟑
( 9 𝑥 ) =𝟑 𝒙
  1 𝟏
6 3 ?𝟐 𝟑
(8 𝑥 𝑦 ) = 𝟐 𝒙 𝒚
Test Your Understanding

 
Simplify
4 6
 
9 𝑥 ? 𝑦
 
Simplify

  1
2? 2
3 𝑥 𝑦
Exercise 3 Questions on provided worksheet.

 Simplify the following:

1 ?
2 ?
3 ?
4 ?
5 ?
6 ?
7 ?
8 ?
9 ?
10 ?
11 ?
Law of Indices Backwards
This part of the topic is a bit more Further Mathsey…

 
Solve
The ‘thinking backwards’ method The ‘cancelling the power’ method.

 If I had some number to the power of ,

what would I do to it?  
What power should I raise both sides of
the equation to ‘cancel’ the power?
Find the 4th root then cube it.

So going backwards from 27:

Cube root: 3 ?
Raise to the power of 4: 81 ?
Further Examples

   
Solve Solve

𝟐
𝟐𝟕
   
−
𝟑 𝟐𝟓 −𝟑
𝒙 =
? 𝒚 = ?
𝟗 𝟖
Test Your Understanding

 Solve

  𝟑
𝟐?
𝑥 =𝟗 =𝟐𝟕

 Solve

𝟐
 
𝟖 − 𝟗
𝑥=( )
𝟐𝟕
? 𝟑
=
𝟒
Exercise 4 Questions on provided worksheet.

  6  [AQA FM Set 3 Paper 1]

1 If , find . ? and
Solve Work out the value of
2 [AQA FM June 2012 Paper?1] and .
3 Work out the value of
?
[AQA FM Set 1 Paper 2] You are given
[AQA FM June 2013 Paper 1] that and .
Solve writing your answer as a proper 7 (a) Write in terms of .
fraction. ?
(b) Write in terms of and .
4 [June 2013 Paper 2] ?
Write in terms of and . (c) Write in terms of .
Give your answer in its simplest form.
? ?
(d) Write in terms of and .
5 ?
?
?
Changing bases
 What do you notice about all of the numbers:

They’re all powers of 2! We could replace the numbers with ,

? base.
and so that we have a consistent
Changing bases
 
 
1 Solve 2 Solve

First convert
everything to
powers of 2.
 
𝟑 𝟑
  ?
𝒙 (𝟐 )
First convert everything

? 𝟐 = to powers of 2…

? 𝟏
𝟐
? 𝟐
 If , determine .
3

?
Test Your Understanding
1  If , find .

Solve ?

?
 Exercise 5
1 Write
  as a single power of : 4 [Edexcel
  GCSE(9-1) June 2017 2H Q18]
a ? Work out the exact value of .
b ?
c ? ?
d ? 5
[Edexcel IGCSE Jan2017-4H Q16d]
e ? Work out the exact value of .
f ?
[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Nov 2017 2F Q21c, Nov 2017 2H
g Q6c Edited]  can be written in the form 
?
Express  in terms of  and .
Solve ?
2
Solve for : N

3
?
a ? ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?