Math 60
Unit 8.1
Supplement
Basic Law of Exponents
Whenever we have a negative exponent, we want to make it a positive exponent.
Example 1:
Write without negative exponents
a.
b.
Example 2:
Write without negative exponents.
A shortcut to this would be:
We can make the negative exponent positive by inverting it. For example,
becomes
.
To multiply powers, add the exponent of the like bases.
Example 3:
(
)(
)
To divide powers, subtract the exponents of the like bases of the denominator from the exponents of the
like bases of the numerator. Then rewrite without negative exponents as done in the previous examples.
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Example 4:
b.
Sometimes we run across 0 as an exponent. Remember that
. This is true for all except 0.
(
)
. If the power with the zero exponent is in a problem, replace it with 1 before you do
anything else.
Example 5:
Replace
with 1.
Problems
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16. (
19. (
22. (
25. (
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17. (
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20. (
23. (
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15.
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18. (
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21. (
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24. (
)
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)
)(
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Answers:
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25.
©Cerritos College MLC
No part of this work may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Cerritos College Math Learning Center.