1

Indices

Index form
Index form is a shorter way of writing numbers or terms.

Examples
 2
1. 5  5  5 = 5 3
2. 6  a  a  a  a = 6a 4

Exercise

1. Write the following in index form.

(a) 2  2  2  2  2 (c) 2  2  2  5  5  5

(b) 17  17  1 (d) 2  2  3  3  3  5  5

(e) 11  11  11  11 13  13

2. Write the following index numbers in full.

(a) 54 (d) 32  4 3  2 4

(b) 7 2  23 (e) 4 2  91  113

(c) 43  65

Laws of Indices

1. a m  a n  a m  n 4.  ab  m  a mb m

2. a m  a n  a m n 5. a 0  1

3.  a m  n  a mn
6. a m 
1
am

Multiplication of indices

When multiplying indices with same base together add the powers

Examples
2. 7 5  7 3  7 53  7 8
1. x 6  x 7  x 6 7  x 13
 3
3. a  b  a  b  a
3 2 3 3 2
b 1 3
a b
5 4
4.
2 y 2  3 x  4 x 3  24 x 1 3 y 2  24 x 4 y 4

Division of Indices

When dividing the indices with same base together subtract the powers.

Examples
1. x 5  x 2  x 52  x 3 a 3  a 4  a 8 a 3 48 a 15
3.  5 7  12  a 1512  a 3
a a
5 7
a a
410
2.  4108  4 2
4 8
3 x 2  2 x 5  5 x 4 30 x 11 5 1512 5 3
4.   x  x
6x 3  4x 4 24 x 7 4 4
Exercise

Simplify the following using indices.

1. c 5  c 3 4u 3 v 6
6.
8u 2 v 3
2. m 4  m 2

m4n9 36 x 6 y 5 z 3
3. 7.
mn 3 9x 4 y 2 z

6a 6 b 4
4.
3a 2 b 3 8. 4a 2  3a 3

12 x 5 y 7 9. 2a 2 b  4a 3 b 2
5.
4x 2 y 5

10.  b 4  b 3   b 5

Powers rule

When raising the powers of a base to a power, multiply the indices together and also when same
power comes on different bases together we write power on each base separately.

Examples
Simplify using indices.

1. 4 2 5
 4 25  410 3. a 2
b 3c 4    a 2  b 3   c 4   a 4b 6 c 8
2 2 2 2

2.  3 x  3  33 x 3  27 x 3  3m 3 
2
32 m 6 9m 6
4.  2   2 4 
 5n  5 n 25n 4

Exercise
Simplify using indices.

1. 2 3 2
5. 2 p 2 3

2. 2  5 4 
3

6.
5    4 
5 2 4 3

58  4 9
3. 10 3 3

4. b 3 5
 b6
 7.  4m 2
n3 
2
12.  b 4  b 2 
3

13.  b 4    b 2 
3 3

8. 5 p    2 p 
2 2 3 3

x7  x2
14.
x4

9.  4m 2
 
n 2  2mn 3 
15.
a5  a 2   3

a8
10.  x 4  x 5 
2

11.  x 2  x 3   x 4 6x 
2
y 4   2 xy 
2 2 3

16.
12 x 6 y 8

Negative indices

A negative index indicates the reciprocal of the quantity.

Examples
2 1 3 5
1. a  3. 5 x 
a2 x3
a2
1 4. a 2 b 3 c 3 
2. x 1  b 3c 3
x
4 4
1 3
5.       81
3 1

Zero Index

Any quantity raised to the power of zero is equal to 1.

Examples

1. a 0  1 4. 3 x 0 y 0  3  1  1  3

2. 100 0  1 x 
0

5.    1
y 
3. 5 x 0  5  1  5

Exercise
Evaluate the following using indices.

1. 5 2  5 0
8. 4  2 3
2. 6 3  6 3
9. 100  10 1
3. 4 0  2 2
4
2 10.
4. 3 | 2 3

5. 5  10 3 8 6
11.
8 8
6. 10 3
12.  4 0 
2

2
7. 16  2

Exercise
Simplify the following using indices.

m 1  m16 a3  b2 c3  d 2
1. 5. 
m 7  m 10 c4  d 3 a2  b4

x3  x 4 ab 3 a 2 b 2
2. 6.  3
x 2  x 4 c 3 c

3.
p 17  p 32  p 4
7.
4x 3
y2


x3 y 2
4

p 3  p 32 2x 2 y 5 2 xy 6
2
 
a3 a5 a 1
4.  
a 4 a 2 a 3

Fractional Indices
The numerator of a fractional index indicates the power to which the quantity must be raised, the
denominator indicates the root which to be take.

Examples
2 3
1. x 3  3 x 2 4. ab 4  a  4 a 3

1
2. a 3  3 a
 
1
5. 64a 6 = 64a 6 2 = 8a 3
1
3. a 2  a

 
6
 1

  2 x  2    2 x   8 x 3
6 3
6. 2x
 
Exercise 1
Express as powers of x.

1. 3
x 3. 7
x4

2. 5
x3 4. x5

Exercise 2

Find the value of following using indices.

1 1 1
1. 8. 81  16
4 2 4 4

2
1  3
2. 
8

 1 1 1
  9. 32 5  25 2  27 3

1
3. 100  3 4
1
 12 
10. 49 2  
7


 

3
4. 25 2

1 3

3 125 3  625 4
5. 4 2 11. 3
25 2

5
6. 100 2
2
27  3 3
3
12. 1
1
7. 4 2 92
 1 1 4
13.  64  2
 
14. 512 3  32 5
 81 

Expressing in index form

Examples

1. Express 8 as powers of 2.

2. Express 243 as powers of 3.

3. Express 100  4 as powers of 10.

Exercise

1. Express 8 as powers of 2.
(a) 16 (c)  32 5

(b) 64

2. Express as powers of 5.

(a) 125 (c) 625

(b) 25

3. Express as powers of 3.

(a) 81 (c)  9 3
(b) 9 (d)  27  6

Exponential Equations
Equations that involve indices as unknowns are known as exponential equations.

Examples
Solve the following equations for x.

1. 2 x  32
7. 100 x  10 2

2. 3 x  81

3. 2 2 x  64 1
8. 6  x 
6

4. 2 x  1
X
 1
9.    32
2
1
5. 3 x 
27

6. 3  X 1  81 10. 10 x  0.01

Exercise

Solve the following exponential equations.

1. 2 x  16
6. 3  x  27

2. 4 2 x  64
7. 2  x 3  64

3. 3 x  1
1
8.  16
4X

1
4. 5 x 
5
9. 125 x  5

5. 2 x 1  8
10. 9 x  3