Algebra II portfolio

Sarah vonTersch
Skill: Properties of Exponents
Throughout the semester a skill I have mastered is the properties of exponents. Looking
back on previous assignments the ones that showcase my skill the most is: Practices 12
and 14 ,explorations 19 and 21, the Exponents and logarithms study guide and notes I
took on the properties of exponents. The notes helped me exhibit my knowledge and
were a reference for future purposes. For example I have x 3 /x 4 =x1 and x 3 /x 4 =x 7
because when dividing terms with the same base but different exponents the rule is
x a / xb =x ab and when multiplying it is the same except you add a and b instead of
subtracting them. I used this rule in Practice 14 problems 1-4. During the practice I was
faced with a problem that had the result of y 8 However in the directions it says I
may only represent my answer using positive exponents. because of this another
property comes into play. Because xa=1/ x a to make y 8 positive you turn it into
1/y 8 . The most challenge property for me to pick up was simplifying large
equations with lots of exponents. An example of this in in Practice 12 numbers 3&4. 3)
4
4 2 3
2 a b /3 b a b The learning realization I made out of this process was for me, it is
important to look at the problem in pieces because I tend to get overwhelmed by lots of
things happening in one problem. By the time we got to exploration 21 I was a master at
working with exponents.