Introduction to Indices:

Simple introduction of Indices taught by Students for Students.

Let’s start off with a very simple method of showing Indices,

42 = 16 = 4 x 4 = 16

If you know your times tables this will come in handy and you will have no problem working
most of these out, especially if you partake in the monthly exams will hold.

Look at the below diagram of how the index notation is set out.

42 = 4 x 4

3 2

1. This is the index or power, both of them are acceptable terms however, in my past
experience I recommend people use the term “Index”.
2. This is called the expanded form, that is the part that we are trying to make smaller by
using Indices.
3. Base is the whole number that is usually on the bottom of the indices.

Examples:

1) What is index and base of 74?

Index is 4
Base is 7

2) Writing expanded form into Index Notation

7 x 7 x 7 = 73 <That is because we have multiplied 7 by three times>.
Index and expanded notation

Index notation is the short way of showing a number being multiplied by itself multiple
times.

Writing,

5 x 5 x 5 will be 53

Number being multiplied Is called the base.

The little number above the base is called the index or power (Better to call it Index)

The index number is the amount of times the base is being multiplied by itself.

Place Value

Using index notation is very useful when you are having to write very large numbers. Check
below image.

Source: Skwirk, Red Apple Education, 2018.

Expanded Notation

Can be used when writing numbers in expanded form from index notation.

If we are asked to write this: 5 x 102 into expanded form

5 x 102 = 5 x 10 x 10 = 5 x 100 = 500

Numbers as Prime Numbers

A prime number is a number that is only divisible by itself and one. It has no other factors.

Listed below are all the Prime Numbers.

2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29

30 is not a prime number because it is divisible of 2, 3, 5, 6, and 10

Square Roots

If a number is going to be multiplied by itself it is called squared for 2. Cubed for 3.

For example:

5 x 5 = 52 = 25

Converting a whole number to a squared version you must square root it.
√25 = 5