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Understanding Exponents and Powers

This document provides an introduction to exponents and powers. It explains that the base is the number being multiplied and the exponent tells you how many times to multiply the base. A power is a shortcut for writing repeated multiplication. The value of a base being raised to increasing exponents doubles each time, while the value is halved for decreasing negative exponents. Rules are provided for multiplying, dividing, and raising bases with exponents - in each case the exponents are combined but the base stays the same.

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Kathryn_Dudash
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4 views3 pages

Understanding Exponents and Powers

This document provides an introduction to exponents and powers. It explains that the base is the number being multiplied and the exponent tells you how many times to multiply the base. A power is a shortcut for writing repeated multiplication. The value of a base being raised to increasing exponents doubles each time, while the value is halved for decreasing negative exponents. Rules are provided for multiplying, dividing, and raising bases with exponents - in each case the exponents are combined but the base stays the same.

Uploaded by

Kathryn_Dudash
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Exponents Activity

Monday, October 08, 2012 10:43 AM

Part 1: Powers of Constants What is a base?

A base is the big number in front of the exponent. For example: 52


What is a power? A power is the little number behind the base. For example: 52 What does a base and power (exponent) tell you to do? A base is the number that the exponent is multiplying. For example: 53 - the 5 is the base. A power is also known as an exponent. The power is how many times the base is multiplied. For example: 24- the 4 is the power. 2*2*2*2=2*2=4 *2=8*2=16*2= 32 What is a power a shortcut to?

A power is a shortcut to writing out- 5*5*5*5*5 instead of 55.


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

Here's an example where you could use geometry to square of cube a number:

Part 2: Negative and Positive Powers What these exponents mean and equal: 21- means 2=2 22- means 2*2=4 23-means 2*2*2=16 24-means 2*2*2*2=32
Introduction to Exponents Page 1

24-means 2*2*2*2=32
Base
2 2

Exponent Meaning
4 3

Value

2*2*2*2*2
2*2*2

16
8

2 2 2 2 2 2 2

2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4

2*2 2 2/2 1/2*1 1/2*1/2 1/2*1/2*1/2

4 2 1 1/2 1/4 1/8

1/2*1/2*1/2*1/2 1/16

Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base?

Starting with two to the first power and increase the exponent, the value is doubling.
Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base? Starting with the two to the fourth power, the operation that is happing to value is dividing by two. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time? Yes, the pattern would stay the same. If you continued 25 would equal 32 and 2-5 would equal 1/32 and the pattern would continue. Part 3: Powers of Variables 1. What do you get when you add x by x?

2.
3.

What do you get when you subtract x by x?


What do you get when you multiply x by x?

4.
5. 6. 7. 8.

What do you get when you divide x by x?


What do you get when you multiply x by x by x? What about x by x by x by x by x? What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? What about x^2 by x^3?

Introduction to Exponents Page 2

9. 10.

What about x^4 by x^6? Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases.

If you multiply numbers with the same base, then you keep the base and add the exponents together. 1. `What do you get when you divide x by x?

2.
3.

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


What about x^4 by x^2?

4.
5.

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


What about x^6 by x?

6. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases. When you divide two numbers with the same base then you keep the base and subtract the exponents. 1.
2.

What do you get when you square x^3?


What do you get when you square x^4?

3.
4.

What do you get when you cube x^2?


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

5.

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

6. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent. When you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent you add the two exponents and keep the base.

Introduction to Exponents Page 3

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