GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Worksheet

Skill
Group A - Multiplying powers
Simplify the following. Express your answer in index form:
2 3 9 8 −9 5
1) 𝑏 × 𝑏 2) 𝑏 × 𝑏 3) 𝑏 ×𝑏

−8 −9 8 0 3 2
4) 𝑏 ×𝑏 5) 𝑏 × 𝑏 6) 2𝑏 × 3𝑏

4 4 2𝑎 4𝑎 1 2
7) 9𝑏 × 6𝑏 8) 8𝑏 × 4𝑏 9) 𝑏 × 𝑏
2 3

Group B - Dividing powers

Simplify the following. Express your answer in index form:
7 2 0 7 3 9
1) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚 2) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚 3) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚

−2 −9 5 5 6 5
4) 𝑚 ÷𝑚 5) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚 6) 16𝑚 ÷ 4𝑚

6 2 6 3 3 1 3 2
7) 𝑎 𝑚 ÷ 𝑎 𝑚 8) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚4 7 9) (− 9𝑚) ÷ (9𝑚)

Group C - Brackets
Simplify the following. Express your answer in index form:
2 3 6 −7 2 4
1) (𝑦 ) 2) (𝑦 ) 3) (2𝑦 )

−3 2 3 5 2 −2 −2
4) (4𝑦 ) 5) (𝑦 𝑚 ) 6) (7𝑦 )

−4 3 8 1 2 1
7) (𝑦 𝑥 ) 6 2
8) (𝑥 𝑦 ) 2
9) (− 𝑥 𝑦 )
6 3 2

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Worksheet

Group D - Negative and fractional indices

Find the value of the following. Express your answer as an integer or fraction:
1
−1 4 −1
1) 3 2) ( 5 ) 3) 16 2

1 1 1
−2
4) 64 2 5) 8 3 6) 36

2 2 2
−3 −3
7) 125 3
8) 8 9) 27

Group E - Combining power laws

Simplify fully. Express your answer in index form:
2 3 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 −2 3
1) 𝑥 × 𝑥 ÷ 𝑥 2) (𝑥 ) × (𝑥 ) 3) (𝑥 ) ÷ (𝑥 )

2 3 2 2 −1 4 2 6 7 2 4
4) 8𝑥 × 4𝑥 ÷ 2𝑥 5) 27𝑥 × 𝑥 ÷ 9𝑥 6) (𝑥 𝑦 ) × (𝑥𝑦 )

2 3 2 2 4 2 2 3 3 2 2 5 3 3 2 2
7) (2𝑥 𝑦 ) × (𝑥 𝑦 ) 8) (2𝑥 𝑦 ) ÷ (2𝑥𝑦 ) 9) (− 3𝑥 𝑦 ) ÷ (− 3𝑥𝑦 )

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Worksheet

Applied

1) Create at least 2 different expressions which you can simplify to get the
answers below. Each expression must use at least two different index
laws.
2
(a) 𝑥
2 3
(b) 2𝑥 𝑦
2 −3
(c) − 2𝑥 𝑦

2) Use the laws of indices to calculate the value of y in the equations

below.
𝑦 3 2 9
(a) 𝑥 × 𝑥 ÷ 𝑥 = 𝑥
𝑦 3 4
(b) 5 × 5 ÷ 5 = 125
𝑦 8 22
(c) 25 × 5 = 5

3) Without using a calculator, simplify the expressions below to find the

missing power.

(a) 114 × 1212 = 11 ⃞

3 4 3 ⃞
(b) (16 × 2 ) ÷ 2 = 2

2 4 8 ⃞
(c) 125 × 25 × 5 = 5

4) Write a simplified expression for the area of the rectangle below:

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Exam Questions

1) Simplify fully:

(a) 2
𝑥 ×𝑥
3

….……………
(1)

(b) 𝑝
7

3
𝑝
….……………
(1)

(c) (2𝑥 )
4 2

….……………
(2)
(4 marks)

2) Simplify:

(a) 3
6ℎ 𝑚 × 4ℎ 𝑚
6 4 5

….……………
(2)

(b) 12𝑥 𝑦
5 7

2 ….……………
3𝑥 𝑦
(2)
(4 marks)

3) Work out the value of:

(a) 5
0

….……………
(1)

(b) 5
−3

….……………
(2)

(c) 3
2
16

….……………
(2)
(5 marks)

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Exam Questions

4) Find the value of 𝑦:

𝑦 3 4 5
7 ×7 =7 ×7

….……………
(2 marks)

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Answers

Question Answer

Skill Questions

Group A Simplify the following. Express your answer

in index form:
2 3 5
1) 𝑏 × 𝑏 1) 𝑏
9 8 17
2) 𝑏 × 𝑏 2) 𝑏
−9 5 −4
3) 𝑏 ×𝑏 3) 𝑏
−8 −9 −17
4) 𝑏 ×𝑏 4) 𝑏
8 0 8
5) 𝑏 × 𝑏 5) 𝑏
3 2 5
6) 2𝑏 × 3𝑏 6) 6𝑏
4 4 8
7) 9𝑏 × 6𝑏 7) 54𝑏
2𝑎 4𝑎 6𝑎
8) 8𝑏 × 4𝑏 8) 32𝑏
1 2 7

9) 𝑏 2 × 𝑏 3 9) 𝑏 6

Group B Simplify the following. Express your answer

in index form:
7 2 5
1) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚 1) 𝑚
0 7 −7
2) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚 2) 𝑚
3 9 −6
3) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚 3) 𝑚
−2 −9 7
4) 𝑚 ÷𝑚 4) 𝑚
5
5) 𝑚 ÷ 𝑚
5 5) 1

6) 16𝑚 ÷ 4𝑚
6 5 6) 4𝑚
6 2 6 3 −1
7) 𝑎 𝑚 ÷ 𝑎 𝑚 7) 𝑚
3 1 17

8) 𝑚 4 ÷ 𝑚 7 8) 𝑚 28

9) (− 9𝑚) ÷ (9𝑚)
3 2 9) − 9𝑚

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Answers

Group C Simplify the following. Express your answer

in index form:
2 3 6
1) (𝑦 ) 1) 𝑦
6 −7 −42
2) (𝑦 ) 2) 𝑦
2 4 8
3) (2𝑦 ) 3) 16𝑦
−3 2 −6
4) (4𝑦 ) 4) 16𝑦
3 5 2 6 10
5) (𝑦 𝑚 ) 5) 𝑦 𝑚
−2 −2 4
6) (7𝑦 ) 6)
𝑦
49

−4 3 8 24
−32 24
7) (𝑦 𝑥 ) 7) 𝑦 𝑥 or
𝑥
32
𝑦
1 3
6 2
8) (𝑥 𝑦 ) 2 8) 𝑥 𝑦
2 1 1
6
9) (− 𝑥 𝑦 3 ) 2 9) − 𝑥 𝑦
3 3

Group D Find the value of the following. Express your

answer as an integer or fraction:
−1 1
1) 3 1) 3

4 −1 5
2) ( 5 ) 2) 4
1

3) 16 2 3) 4
1

4) 64 2 4) 8
1

5) 8 3 5) 2

−2
1 1
6) 36 6) 6
2

7) 125 3 7) 25

2
−3 1
8) 8 8) 4

−3
2 1
9) 27 9) 9

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Answers

Group E Simplify fully. Express your answer in index

form:
2 3 2 3
1) 𝑥 × 𝑥 ÷ 𝑥 1) 𝑥
2 3 2 3 12
2) (𝑥 ) × (𝑥 ) 2) 𝑥
2 3 −2 3 12
3) (𝑥 ) ÷ (𝑥 ) 3) 𝑥
2 3 2 3
4) 8𝑥 × 4𝑥 ÷ 2𝑥 4) 16𝑥
2 −1 4 −3
5) 27𝑥 × 𝑥 ÷ 9𝑥 5) 3𝑥
2 6 7 2 4 18 50
6) (𝑥 𝑦 ) × (𝑥𝑦 ) 6) 𝑥 𝑦
2 3 2 2 4 2 8 14
7) (2𝑥 𝑦 ) × (𝑥 𝑦 ) 7) 4𝑥 𝑦
2 3 3 2 2 4 5
8) (2𝑥 𝑦 ) ÷ (2𝑥𝑦 ) 8) 2𝑥 𝑦
5 3 3 2 2 13 5
9) (− 3𝑥 𝑦 ) ÷ (− 3𝑥𝑦 ) 9) − 3𝑥 𝑦

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Answers

Question Answer

Applied Questions

1) Create at least 2 different expressions which

you can simplify to get the answers below.
Each expression must use at least two
different index laws.

(a) 𝑥2 (a) Example solution:

2 3 3
𝑥 ×𝑥 ÷𝑥

(b) 2𝑥2𝑦3 (b) Example solution:

3 4 2
3𝑥 × 4𝑥 𝑦 ÷ 6𝑥 𝑦

(c) − 2𝑥2𝑦−3 (c) Example solution:

4 2 2 6
− 6𝑥 𝑦 × 3𝑦 ÷ 9𝑥 𝑦

2) Use the laws of indices to calculate the value

of 𝑦 in the equations below:

(a) 𝑥𝑦 × 𝑥3 ÷ 𝑥2= 𝑥9 (a) 𝑦 = 8

(b) 5𝑦 × 53 ÷ 54= 125 (b) 𝑦 = 4

(c) 25𝑦 × 58= 522 (c) 𝑦 = 7

3) Without using a calculator, simplify the

expressions below to find the missing power:

(a) 4 2 ⃞ (a) 8
11 × 121 = 11

(b) 3 4 3 ⃞ (b) 13
(16 ×2 ) ÷2 = 2

(c) 1252 × 254 × 58 = 5 ⃞ (c) 22

4) Write a simplified expression for the area of 8𝑎 𝑐𝑚

5 2

the rectangle below:

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Laws of Indices - Mark Scheme

Question Answer

Exam Questions

1) Simplify fully:
2
(a) 𝑥 × 𝑥
3
(a) 𝑥
5 (1)

(b) 𝑝
7
(b) 𝑝
4 (1)
3
𝑝

(c) (2𝑥 )
4 2
(c) 4 or 𝑥
8 (1)

4𝑥
8 (1)

2) Simplify:
3
(a) 6ℎ 𝑚 × 4ℎ 𝑚
6 4 5 7
(a) ℎ or 𝑚 seen
11
(1)
7 11
24ℎ 𝑚 (1)
5 7 3 6
(b) 12𝑥 𝑦 (b) 𝑥 or 𝑦 seen (1)
2
3𝑥 𝑦 3 6
4𝑥 𝑦 (1)
3) Work out the value of:

(a) 5
0 (a) 1 (1)

(b) 5
−3 (b) 1
125 or 3 seen (1)
5
1
(1)
125

(c) 16 2
3
(c) 3 (1)
seen or 4 or 4
64 (1)
4) Find the value of y: 9
7 or 7 or 7
6 𝑦+3 9
= 7 or 𝑦 + 3 = 9 seen (1)
𝑦 3 4 5
7 ×7 =7 ×7
𝑦=6
(1)

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