Scribd
Upload
318 views7 pages

Exponents and Radicals

This document discusses exponents and radicals. It defines integer exponents and provides examples of evaluating expressions with exponents. Rules for working with exponents are presented, including combining like terms and distributing exponents. Scientific notation is introduced. The document then discusses working with radicals, including simplifying expressions with radicals. It introduces rational exponents and provides examples of simplifying expressions with rational exponents. The concept of rationalizing the denominator is explained with examples.

Uploaded by

Amit Tiwari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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
318 views7 pages

Exponents and Radicals

This document discusses exponents and radicals. It defines integer exponents and provides examples of evaluating expressions with exponents. Rules for working with exponents are presented, including combining like terms and distributing exponents. Scientific notation is introduced. The document then discusses working with radicals, including simplifying expressions with radicals. It introduces rational exponents and provides examples of simplifying expressions with rational exponents. The concept of rationalizing the denominator is explained with examples.

Uploaded by

Amit Tiwari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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
You are on page 1/ 7

Section 1.

2 Exponents and Radicals


Integer Exponents
A product of identical numbers is usually written in exponential notation. For example, 5 5 5
is written as 53 . In general, we have the following definition.

EXAMPLES:
 5          
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
=
=
(a)
2
2
2
2
2
2
32
(b) (3)4 = (3) (3) (3) (3) = 81
(c) 34 = (3 3 3 3) = 81

EXAMPLES:
 0
4
= 1,
(a)
7

a3 + b
c2 + d 4 + 2

!0

=1

(b) 00 is undefined
1
1
=
1
x
x
1
1
1
(d) (2)3 =
=
=

(2)3
8
8
(c) x1 =

(e) 23 =

1
1
=

23
8

Rules for Working with Exponents


In the table the bases a and b are real numbers, and the exponents m and n are integers.

EXAMPLES:
(1)

(a) x4 x7 = x4+7 = x11


(1)

(b) y 4 y 7 = y 4+(7) = y 3 =
(c)

1
y3

c9 (2) 95
=c
= c4
5
c
(3)

(d) (b4 )5 = b(4)(5) = b20


(4)

(e) (3x)3 = 33 x3 = 27x3


 x 5 (5) x5
x5
(f)
= 5 =
2
2
32
EXAMPLES: Simplify
3 2

 3  2 4
y x
x
(b)
y
z

4 3

(a) (2a b )(3ab )


Solution:

(4)

(3)

(1)

(a) (2a3 b2 )(3ab4 )3 = (2a3 b2 )[33 a3 (b4 )3 ] = (2a3 b2 )(27a3 b12 ) = (2)(27)a3 a3 b2 b12 = 54a6 b14
 8
 3  2 4
3
y x
(y 2 )4 x4 (3) x3 y 8 x4
1
y
x
(5),(4) x
3 4
=
= 3 4 = (x x )

(b)
3
4
3
y
z
y
z
y
z
y
z4
EXAMPLE: Simplify

x4 z 7
4y 5



2x3 y 3
z3

2

(1),(2)

x7 y 5
z4

EXAMPLE: Simplify

x4 z 7
4y 5



2x3 y 3
z3

2

Solution:
 6 7
 4 7   3 3 2
4 7
22 (x3 )2 (y 3 )2 (3) x4 z 7 4x6 y 6
2x y
z
y
xz
(5),(4) x z
(1),(2) 10
4 6
=

= (x x )
=
= x yz
5
3
5
3
2
5
6
5
6
4y
z
4y
(z )
4y
z
y
z
REMARK: Note that
(2x3 y 3 )2 = 22 (x3 )2 (y 3 )2
but
(2 + x3 + y 3 )2 6= 22 + (x3 )2 + (y 3 )2

EXAMPLES: Eliminate negative exponents and simplify each expression.


 y 2
6st4
(b)
(a)
2s2 t2
3z 3
Solution:
3s3
6st4 (7) 6ss2 (1) 3s3
6st4 (2) 1(2) 42
3 6
=
=
=
3s
t
=
3s
t
=
or
2s2 t2
2t2 t4
t6
2s2 t2
t6
 y 2 (6)  3z 3 2 (5),(4) 9z 6
(b)
=
=
3z 3
y
y2

(a)

EXAMPLE: Eliminate negative exponents and simplify

q 1 r1 s2
q 8 r5 s

1

EXAMPLE: Eliminate negative exponents and simplify


Solution 1: We have


q 1 r1 s2
q 8 r5 s

or


q 1 r1 s2
q 8 r5 s

1

(6)

1

(6)

1

q 8 r5 s (7) qrss2 (1) qrs3


= 8 5 = 8 5
q 1 r1 s2
q r
q r

(3),(4),(5)

or
q 1 r1 s2
q 8 r5 s

q 1 r1 s2
q 8 r5 s

1

(1),(7)

s3
q 7 r4

s3
q 8 r5 s (2) 8(1) 5(1) 1(2)
7 4 3
=
q
r
s
=
q
r
s
=
q 1 r1 s2
q 7 r4

Solution 2: We have
 1 1 2 1
q r s
q 8 r5 s


(3),(4),(5)

qrs2 (7) qrss2 (1) qrs3


= 8 5 = 8 5
q 8 r5 s1
q r
q r

(1),(7)

s3
q 7 r4

qrs2 (2) 18 15 2(1)


s3
7 4 3
=
q
r
s
=
q
r
s
=
q 8 r5 s1
q 7 r4

Scientific Notation
Exponential notation is used by scientists as a compact way of writing very large numbers and
very small numbers.

EXAMPLES: 56, 920 = 5.692 104 , 9.3 105 = 0.000093.

Radicals

EXAMPLES:

3
3
3
1.
x4 = x3 x = x3 3 x = x 3 x
2.

p
p
p

4
4
81x8 y 4 = 4 81 x8 4 y 4 = 3 4 (x2 )4 |y| = 3x2 |y|

3.

4.

16 2 + 100 2 = 16 2 + 100 2 = 4 2 + 10 2 = 14 2

REMARK: Note that 32 + 200 6= 32 + 200.


32 +

25b

200 =

b3 =

25b

b2 b =


25 b b2 b = 5 b b b = (5 b) b,

b0

Rational Exponents

REMARK 1: With this definition it can be proved that the Laws of Exponents also hold for
rational exponents.
REMARK 2: It is important that a 0 if n is even in the definition above. Otherwise
contradictions are possible. For example,
p

?
???
1 = (1)1 = (1)2/2 = (1)2 = 1 = 1
EXAMPLES:

1. 41/2 = 4 = 2

2 82/3 = ( 3 8)2 = 22 = 4
3. (125)1/3 =

or

82/3 =

82 =

64 = 4

1
1
1
=
=
3
1/3
125
5
125

1
1
= 4/3 = x4/3
4.
3
x
x4
5. a1/3 a7/3 = a1/3+7/3 = a8/3
a2/5 a7/5 a1/5
= a2/5+7/5+(1/5)3/5(4/5) = a2/5+7/51/53/5+4/5 = a9/5
a3/5 a4/5

7. (2a3 b4 )3/2 = 23/2 (a3 )3/2 (b4 )3/2 = ( 2)3 a3(3/2) b4(3/2) = 2 2a9/2 b6

6.

8.

2x3/4
y 1/3

3 

y4
x1/2

23 (x3/4 )3
8x9/4 4 1/2
4 1/2

(y
x
)
=
y x = 8x11/4 y 3
(y 1/3 )3
y

9. (2 x)(3 3 x) = (2x1/2 )(3x1/3 ) = 6x1/2+1/3 = 6x1/2+1/3 = 6x5/6


10.

p
x x = (x x1/2 )1/2 = (x3/2 )1/2 = x3/4

Rationalizing the Denominator


EXAMPLES:
1. We have

2. We have

or, in short,

2 3
2 3
2
= =
3
3
3 3

3
3
3
3
4 52
4 52
4 52
4 3 25
4 52
4

=
=
=
=
=
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
5
5 52
5 52
51+2
53

3
4
4 3 25
4 52

=
=
3
3
3
5
5
5 52

3. We have

5
5
5
5
5
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3
1

=
=
=
=
=
5
5
5
5
5
5
x
x2
x2 x3
x2 x3
x2+3
x5

or, in short,

5
5
1
x3
x3

=
=
5
5
5
x
x2
x2 x3

You might also like