You are on page 1of 4

Exponents Discovery

Monday, October 07, 2013 10:07 AM

Part 1:

In One Note, type a paragraph explaining what you have learned. Based on the internet page we just used, here are a few things I have learned. I learned where and what the base and exponent are. I also learned that there are three different forms that you can use to show the power. There is exponential form, expanded form, and standard form. You also learned the meaning of a power and different ways to say the powers. Lastly, you learned that if there is a variable (the coefficient) it always stays the same. 1. What is a base? The base is the number being multiplied by the exponent (bigger number) 2. What is a power? Powers are the amount or number you are multiplying the base by. (42 would be 4 to the SECOND power) 3. What does a base and power (exponent) tell you to do? A base tells you to multiply that number by the power. So, the power tells you what you are multiplying the base by. 4. What is a power a shortcut to? A power is a shortcut to writing out how many times you multiply the base by. Instead of having to write 2 x 2 x2 you would just say 23 so you dont have to write the whole thing out. (when the powers get larger). Or repeated multiplication. 5. How could you use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a number? For squaring a number, the area of a square is length times height (square sides are all the same). If you have a square and the first side has 3 cubes and you find the area, 3 * 3 = 9. That is the same as squaring 3. Do the same for cubing but multiply that by an extra side of the square. Part 2:
Introduction to Exponents Page 1

Base
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Exponent Meaning 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 2x2x2 2x2 2 NA 1/2 0.5 / 2 0.25 / 2 0.125 / 2

Value 8 4 2 1 0.5 0.25 0.125 0.0625

2 x 2 x 2 x2 16

Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base? You are multiplying the value by 2. Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base? They are being divided by two or multiplied by their reciprocal (1/2). Now, decrease the exponent from 1 to 0 and using the pattern you have discovered, determine the value of 2 to the 0 power and fill in the table. The answer for 2 to the 0 power is 1. Double check your table. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time? Yes, basically 2^-4 and 2^4 are the reciprocal of each other. The pattern works throughout the whole table. Does the pattern work from 2^4 to 2^-4 as the exponent decreases each time? Yes, the pattern works both ways throughout the whole table.

Part 3: 6. What do you get when you add x and x? 2x (2 x's is = 2x) 7. What do you get when you subtract x from x? 0 because x is the same number

Introduction to Exponents Page 2

8. What do you get when you multiply x by x? x2 ( x * x = x2) 9. What do you get when you divide x by x? 1 because x is the same number 10. What do you get when you multiply x by x by x? x3 ( x * x * x = x3) 11. What about x by x by x by x by x? x4 (pattern from before) 12. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? x3 (x2 = x * x so then, x * x * x would be multiplying that by another x.) 13. What about when you multiply x^2 by x^3? (x * x * x) * (x * x) = X5 14. What about when you multiply x^4 by x^6? x10 (add the 4 and the six (shortcut) ) 15. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases. The way I see it is, that you add the exponents. x^4 and x^5 you add the 4 and 5 and that would be X9.

1.What about when you multiply x^4 by x^2? x6 (x * x * x * x) * (x * x) 2.What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3? x*x*x*x*x X2 x*x*x 3.What about when you divide x^6 by x? x * x * x * x * x * x X2 x 4.Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases When you divide the same base you cross cancel the smaller amount with
Introduction to Exponents Page 3

When you divide the same base you cross cancel the smaller amount with the bigger amount. This is because whenever a number/variable is the same, and you divide them, they equal 1.

1.What do you get when you square x^3? x * x * x * x * x * x = x6 2.What do you get when you square x^4? x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x = X8 3.What do you get when you cube x^2? x * x * x * x * x * x = X6 4.What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power? x3 * x3 * x3 * x3 = x12 5.What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power? x^2 * x^2 * x^2 * x^2 * x^2 =x10 6.Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent. Take the base and exponent that need to be raised and multiply it out by the number it asks you to raise it to. For example: x4 raised to the second power is just multiply x4 two times (x4 times x4 )

Introduction to Exponents Page 4

You might also like