EXPONENTS
Review of Introductory Mathematics
Basic Rules for Exponents
The following rules are applied to exponents.
Rule 1:
To multiply numbers with the same base, add the exponents and keep the
base the same.
aman = am+n
Example:
22 x 23 = (2 x 2) x (2 x 2 x 2) = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 25
Rule 2:
When raising a power of a number to a power, multiply the exponents and
keep the base the same.
(am)n = amn
Example:
(a2)3 = (a x a) x (a x a) x (a x a) = a6
that is, you multiply (a x a) three times. Similarly, for (am)n, one multiplies (am) n times.
There are m values of a in each parenthesis multiplied by n parenthesis or m x n values
of a to multiply.
Thus, (am)n = amn
Rule 3:
When dividing two exponential numbers, subtract the powers.
am
an
am n
Example:
a5
a2
a×a×a×a×a
a×a
a
a
×a
a
× a× a× a
a3
MA-01
Page 62
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