Lesson 8:

Laws of Exponents

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

Example:
Simplify and express in positive exponential form?

= ? ? ? ?
2 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐

Laws of Exponents

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents

𝑚 𝑛 𝑚+𝑛
Law 1: 𝑎 ×𝑎 =𝑎 (Same base and different powers)

Examples:
Simplify the following:
𝟑 𝟓 3 +5 8
𝟏 . 𝟐 ×𝟐 =¿
2 =¿ 2
𝟐 𝟒 2+4 6
𝟐 . 𝒙 × 𝒙 =¿𝑥 ¿ 𝑥
𝟏𝟓 −𝟔 15+(− 6)
𝟑 . 𝟕 ×𝟕 =¿
7 =¿7 9
𝒂 𝒃 𝑎+𝑏
𝟒 . 𝟏𝟎 ×𝟏𝟎 =¿
10

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents
𝑚 𝑚 −𝑛
𝑚 𝑛 𝑎
Law 2: 𝑎 ÷ 𝑎 = 𝑛 =𝑎 (Same base and different powers)
𝑎
Examples:
Simplify the following:
𝟓 𝟑 5− 3 2
𝟏 . 𝟐 ÷ 𝟐 =¿
2 =¿ 2
𝟐 𝟒 2− 4 −2
𝟐 . 𝒙 ÷ 𝒙 =¿𝑥 ¿ 𝑥
𝟏𝟓 −𝟔 15−(−6 )
𝟑 . 𝟕 ÷ 𝟕 =¿
7 =¿7 21
𝟑 𝟑 3− 3
𝟒 . 𝟓 ÷ 𝟓 =¿5 ¿ 5¿
0
1

0
𝑎 =1

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents

𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
Law 3: 𝑎 ×𝑏 =( 𝑎𝑏) (Different bases and same power)

Examples:
Simplify the following:
𝟓 𝟓 5
𝟏 . 𝟐 ×𝟑 =¿ ( 6
𝟒 𝟒
𝟐 . 𝒙 × 𝒚 =¿ ( ¿ ( 𝑥 𝑦 )4
−𝟔 −𝟔 −6 −6
(7 × 2) =¿
𝟑 . 𝟕 × 𝟐 =¿ 14
𝐒 𝐒 S
𝟒 . 𝐀 × 𝐁 =¿
( AB )

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents

( )
𝑚
𝑚 𝑚 𝑎
Law 4: 𝑎 ÷ 𝑏 = (Different bases and same power)
𝑏
Examples:
Simplify the following:
𝟓 𝟓 5
𝟏 . 𝟖 ÷ 𝟐 =¿ ( 4

( )
4
𝟒 𝟒 𝑥
𝟐 . 𝒙 ÷ 𝒚 =¿ ( ¿
𝑦
( )
−6
−𝟔 −𝟔 −6
7
𝟑 . 𝟕 ÷ 𝟐 =¿(7 ÷ 2) =¿ 2

( )
S
𝐒 𝐒 2𝐴
𝟒 .(𝟐 𝐀 ) ÷ 𝐁 =¿
𝐵

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents

𝑚 𝑛 𝑚 ∙𝑛
Law 5: (𝑎 ) =𝑎 (Taking power of a power)

Examples:
Simplify the following:
𝟐 𝟓 10
𝟏 .(𝟑 ) =¿3 2× 5=¿
3
−𝟏 𝟒
𝟐 .(𝒙 ) =¿𝑥− 1 ×4
¿𝑥
−4

−𝟏𝟎 − 𝟔 − 10× −6 60
𝟑 .(𝟑𝟏𝟐 ) =¿
312 =¿
312
𝒏 𝐒
𝟒 .( 𝑨 ) =¿A nS

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents

Law 6: (Powers with negative exponents)

Examples:
Simplify the following:
1
−𝟓
𝟏 . 𝟐 =¿25
−𝟏 1
𝟐 . 𝒙 =¿𝒙 𝟏
−
𝟏 1
𝟐
𝟑 .(𝒎) =¿ 1
𝑚2

− 𝟐𝐒
1
𝟒. 𝐀 =¿𝐀 𝟐 𝐒

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Laws of Exponents

( ) ( )
−𝑛 𝑛
𝑎 𝑏
Law 7: 𝑏 = (Powers with negative exponents)
𝑎

Examples:
Simplify the following:

() ( )
−𝟓 𝟓
𝟐 𝟑
𝟏. =¿
𝟑 𝟐

( ) ( )
−𝟏 𝟏
𝟒 𝟖
𝟐. =¿ ¿ ( 𝟐 ) 𝟏
𝟖 𝟒

( )
𝟏
𝟑𝒎 −
𝟑. 𝟐
=¿
𝒏

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

Example 1:
Simplify and write the answer in the exponential form :

1.
( 3 8 −2 ) × 35= =

2.

6 6
¿ (2 ×3 ) ×5
=

=
=

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

 Example 2: Simplify

MAL1- Mathematics Level 1

Exampleand
Simplify 2: express in positive exponential form?

? ? ? ?
¿2 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
3 −4 4 10 −2
Law 5:
2 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐 𝑎
¿ 2 −1 1 5 6
2 𝑎 𝑐 𝑏 𝑐
Law 1:
3 −𝟔 4 10
2 𝒂 𝑏 𝑐
¿ 2 −1 5 𝟕
2 𝑎 𝑏 𝒄
Law 2:
1 −5 −1 3
¿2 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
1 1 1 3
Law 6:
¿2 5 1
𝑐
𝑎 𝑏
21 𝑐3
¿ 5 1
𝑎 𝑏
MAL1- Mathematics Level 1