ExponentActivity

Monday,October08,2012 10:43AM

ExponentWiki:Activity1
1. What is a base? A base is a 2. What is a power? 3. What does a base and power (exponent) tell you to do? 4. What is a power a shortcut to? 5. How could you use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a number?

The base tells us the factor that is going to be multiplied. For example 42 , in that number the 4 is the base because it is the number that is being multiplied. A good way to remember that would be to just remember that the base means bottom and that four is the lower number so it is at the bottom which makes it the base. The power is the number that tells us how many factors are going to be in the repeated multiplication. A good way to remember that would be to remember that when someone has powers, they are usually more advanced or they are better than the average person, physically or mentally. They are higher up so that it why the number is higher up. That is a really good way to remember it. For example in 42 the power is 2 because it is the number that is higher because it has power. The exponent tells you how many times you need to multiply the base by itself. A power is a shortcut to having to multiply the same number and writing it out over and over. A way that geometry would describe squaring and cubing is because you have to remember 2-D and 3-D. For squared, a square is a 2-D shape so just remember the 2 in 2-D. For cubed, a cube is a 3-D shape so just remember 3 in 3-D and you have cubed. This is how you use geometry for describing squaring and cubing.

ExponentWiki:ActivityPart2
Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base?

Base 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Exponent Meaning Value 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 24 23 22 21 20 21 22 23 24 16 8 4 2 1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16

Whenyouincreasetheexponentyouarejust multiplyingthevaluebytwowhichisyour base.

Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base?

Whenyoudecreasetheexponentyouare dividingthevalueby2whichisagainyour base.

Double check your table. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time?

Thepatterndoesworkbecausewhenyougo uptheanswereachtimeouransweris multipliedby2whichisourbase.

Does the pattern work from 2^4 to 2^-4 as the exponent increases each time?

Thepatterndoesworkbecausewhenyougo downwithyourmeaning,thevalueisdivided by2whichisyourbase.

ExponentWiki:ActivityPart3
1. What do you get when you add x by x? 2x 2. What do you get when you subtract x by x?

Introduction to Exponents Page 1

0 3. What do you get when you multiply x by x? x2 4. What do you get when you divide x by x? 1 5. What do you get when you multiply x by x by x? x3 6. What about x by x by x by x by x? x5 7. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x3 8. What about x^2 by x^3? x5 9. What about x^4 by x^6? x10 10. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases.

Youcankeepthebasethesameandaddthe exponentstogethertomakeyournew exponent.

1. What do you get when you divide x by x? 1 2. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x3 3. What about x^4 by x^2? x6 4. What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3? x2 5. What about x^6 by x? x5 6. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases. When you divide the same bases you keep your base and subtract your two exponents. 7. What do you get when you square x^3? 2x3 or (x3)2 8. What do you get when you square x^4? 2x4 or (x4)2 9. What do you get when you cube x^2? 3x2 or (x2)3 10. What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power? 4x3 or (x3)4 11. What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power? 5x2 or (x2)5 12. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent. You have to multiply the exponent by the base and just keep your other exponent the same.

Introduction to Exponents Page 2