Integer Exponents

Contents
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n

Integer Exponents;
Laws of Exponents
College Algebra

Vedes Ann Tagle Laylo

Mathematics Department
De La Salle Lipa

2nd Semester AY 2013 - 2014

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 Integer Exponents
Contents
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n

Contents

1 Integer Exponents
Integer Exponents
Zero Exponent
Negative Exponents
2 Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m
and n
The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
The Power of a Power
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 Integer Exponents
Integer Exponents
Zero Exponent
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
Negative Exponents

Integer Exponents

If n is a positive integer and a is a real number, the exponential

notation an represents the product of the real number a with
itself n times, that is,

an = a
| · a ·{za · · · a}
n factors of a

• an - read as ”a to the nth power” or ”a to the n”

• The positive integer n is called the exponent.
• The real number a is called the base.

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 Integer Exponents
Integer Exponents
Zero Exponent
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
Negative Exponents

Integer Exponents

Illustrations
(a) 54 = 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 = 625

(b) (−3)3 = (−3)(−3)(−3) = −27

(c) ( 21 )5 = 1
2 · 1
2 · 1
2 · 1
2 · 1
2 = 1
32

(d) (− 13 )2 = (− 13 )(− 13 ) = 1
9

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 Integer Exponents
Integer Exponents
Zero Exponent
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
Negative Exponents

Zero Exponent

Zero Exponent
If a 6= 0 then a0 = 1.

Illustrations
(a) 30 = 1
√
(b) (− 2)0 = 1

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 Integer Exponents
Integer Exponents
Zero Exponent
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
Negative Exponents

Negative Exponents

Negative Exponents
If a 6= 0 then a−n = 1
an = 1
a·a·a···a .

Illustrations
(a) 5−3 = 1
53
= 1
125

(b) (−3)−5 = 1
(−3)5
1
= − 243

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
Integer Exponents
The Power of a Power
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Laws of Exponents

The Product of Powers

am · an = am+n

Examples (Solution will be discussed during the lecture.)

(1) y 6 · y 9

(2) (−5)−2 (−5)2

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
Integer Exponents
The Power of a Power
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Laws of Exponents

The Quotient of Powers


m−n
am a
 if m > n
= 1 if m = n
an 
 1
an−m
if m < n

Examples (Solution will be discussed during the lecture.)

x9
(1) x5
x5
(2) x9
x8
(3) x8
v 15
(4) v 11

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
Integer Exponents
The Power of a Power
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Laws of Exponents

The Power of a Power

(am )n = amn

Examples (Solution will be discussed during the lecture.)

(1) (x2 )3

(2) (y 2r · y 5r )2

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
Integer Exponents
The Power of a Power
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Laws of Exponents

The Power of a Product

(ab)m = am bm

Examples (Solution will be discussed during the lecture.)

(1) (2x)3

(2) (m2 · n4 )2

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
Integer Exponents
The Power of a Power
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Laws of Exponents

The Power of a Quotient

am
( ab )m = bm

Examples (Solution will be discussed during the lecture.)

3
(1) ( x2 )4

2w+1
(2) ( xxw−1 )3

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents

 The Product of Powers
The Quotient of Powers
Integer Exponents
The Power of a Power
Laws of Exponents for Real Numbers a and b and Integers m and n
The Power of a Product
The Power of a Quotient

Practice Exercise

Simplify the following by expressing all exponents positive.

(1) (4−1 · 32 )−2

2 −2
(2) ( 5−2 )

40 −2−2
(3) 2−2(4)−2

(4) [ 68 ]−4 + [ 32 ]−2 [ 32 ]2

Vedes Ann T. Laylo ; vedes18@gmail.com Integer Exponents; Laws of Exponents