Laws of Exponents

Exponential Notation

Exponent
Base
Base raised to an exponent
Zero Power

0
a =1
Anything to
the zero
power is one.
Product of a Power
mn
a
If you multiply powers
having the same base,
add the exponents.
Example
Simplify: x  3  x  y
2 9 0

29
x 3 1
11
3x
Practice
Simplify the following expressions:

1) x  x 5

2) 2  x  z  3  x
3 0 2

3)  9 x y 3 5
 4 x y 
2 4
Power of a Power

m n
a
To find a power of a
power, multiply the
exponents.
Example
Simplify:2s  s   t 
2 6 3 3
4t 2

2 6 33
2s s t 4t 2

2s  s  t  4t
1 12 9 2

112 9  2
2  4s t
13 11
8s t
Practice
Simplify the following expressions:

1)  y  2 4

2)  a   a 
4 2 3 5

3) x  y  x  x 
5 2 4 2 6
y
Power of a Product

a bm m

If a base has a
product, raise each
factor to the power
Example
Simplify: 3x   2 xy 
4 5
2

 3   2  x y 45
2 2 5 5
x
9 x  32 x y
2 5 20

9  32  x y
2  5 20

288x y 7 20
Practice
Simplify the following expressions:

1)   pqr 
5

2)  2ab   2a 
2 4 3 5

- 2 x  3 x yz 
2 4 3
3)
Negative Powers
1
m
a
1
 m
A simplified
expression has no
m a
negative exponents.
a
Example
10 3
Simplify: 4a b 5a 4

10  4 3
4  5a b
6 3
20a b
3
20b
6
a
Example
2 1
Simplify: 12 x y
3
8x
2 3
12 x x
1
8y
423
12 x
8y
4

3 x5
2y
Practice
Simplify the following expressions:
3
1) 8
2
6x
2) 5 3
4x y
3 8 4
3) 3 x y x
4)  2 a b  3 2
Quotient of a Power

mn
a
To find a quotient of a
power, subtract the bottom a0
exponent from the top if
the bases are the same.
Example
6 1
2x y
Simplify: 2 3
6x y
2 62 13
6 x y
1 4 2
3 x y
x4
3 y2
Practice
Simplify the following expressions:
6 0
ab
1) 3
5a
6
12 x
2) 12
4 xy
9 3
14 x y
3) 3
4x y
Quotient of a Power
m
a
m
b
To find a power of a quotient,
raise the denominator and
numerator to the same power.
Example
2 3
 3   2x y 2 7

Simplify:     5
 y  x


2 23 73


3
3 2 x y
2 53
y x
y2 8 x6 y 21
3 2  x 15

y 2 8 x6 y 21
15
9x
221 23
8y
9x 156  8y
9x 9
Practice
Simplify the following expressions:
8
 a 
3
1)  0 
 bc 
4
 2 x 
2)  2 
 y 
7
s f5
2

3)  
 zr 
4
 