Everything Maths Grade 10

VISIT:

Interested in finding out why raising a real number to the power of zero is one? Try work it out for yourself. If

you get stuck, you can see an example of how to show this is true at this link.

See video:2DZBatwww.everythingmaths.co.za

Look at the following examples to see these identities in action:

1. 3 3 = 3^2 = 9

2. 5  5  5 5 = 5^4

3.ppp=p^3

4.(3x)^0 = 1

5. 2 ^4 =

1

24

=

1

16

6.

1

5 x

= 5x

NOTE:

If your final answer is easier to work out without a calculator, then write it out in full - not in exponential

notation, as in examples 1 and 5.

NOTE:

It is convention to write your final answer with positive exponents.

In this chapter, we will revise the exponent laws and use these laws to simplify and solve more complex
expressions and equations.

VISIT:

To revise what exponents are you can watch the following video.

See video:2DZCatwww.everythingmaths.co.za

2.2 Revision of exponent laws EMAT

There are several laws we can use to make working with exponential numbers easier. Some of these laws might
have been done in earlier grades, but we list all the laws here for easy reference:

• aman=am+n


• 
  

am

an

=amn

• (ab)n=anbn


• 
  

(a

b

)n

=

an

bn

• (am)n=amn
  wherea > 0 ,b > 0 andm; n 2 R

VISIT:

The following two videos explain the exponent laws.

Part 1:

See video:2DZDatwww.everythingmaths.co.za

Part 2:

See video:2DZFatwww.everythingmaths.co.za

Chapter 2. Exponents 45