Exponents Discovery

Monday, October 07, 2013 10:53 AM

Part 1:
1. In One Note, type a paragraph explaining what you have learned.
Through this Math Application I learned the difference between a base and a power. Positive exponents became more clear to me also. I learned that writing certain things with exponents are a lot more convenient than writing it out fully, it can also be more clear. I also realized how integers can be used in geometry problems.

2. What is a base?
A base is the number being multiplied by itself however many times the power says to, so in the base would be 6.

3. What is a power?
A power is the number of that exponent for example power. would be six to the third

4. What does a base and power (exponent) tell you to do?

A base tells you what number you will be multiplying while the power tells you how many times you multiply your base by itself.

5. What is a power a shortcut to?

A power is a shortcut to writing out super long math problems. For example: Instead of writing you could write

6. How could you use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a

Introduction to Exponents Page 1

6. How could you use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a number?

You could use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a number like below.

Part 2:
Base 2 Exponent Meaning 4 3 Value

2 * 2 * 2 * 2 16
2*2*2 8

2
2 2 1 2 0 2 -1 2 -2 2

2*2

2 * -1

0.5

2 * -2

0.25

-3
2 -4

2 * -3

0.125

2 * -4

0.0625

Introduction to Exponents Page 2

-4 2

2 * -4

0.0625

Part 3:
1. What do you get when you add x and x?

2(x)

2. What do you get when you subtract x from x?

3. What do you get when you multiply x by x?

x^2

4. What do you get when you divide x by x?

5. What do you get when you multiply x by x by x?

x^3

6. What about x by x by x by x by x?

x^5

7. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x?

x^3

8. What about when you multiply x^2 by x^3?

x^5

Introduction to Exponents Page 3

9. What about when you multiply x^4 by x^6?

x^10

10. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases.

When you multiply same bases you are multiplying that number by itself or squaring it
11. What about when you multiply x^4 by x^2?

x^8

12. What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3?

x^2
13. What about when you divide x^6 by x?

x^5
14. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases.

When you divide the same number together the answer is always 1
15. What do you get when you square x^3?

x^6

16. What do you get when you square x^4?

x^8
17. What do you get when you cube x^2?

x^6
18. What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power?

x^12
19. What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power?

Introduction to Exponents Page 4

x^10
20. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent.

You then write out how many x's you have and you add how many more powers of those you need, then count those, and there is your exponent.

Introduction to Exponents Page 5