CHAPTER 1: INDICES

Representing Repeated Multiplication in Index Form

𝑎 × … × 𝑎 , where 𝑎 ≠ 0
𝑎𝑛 = ⏟
𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

𝑎 is called a base while 𝑛 is called an index.

For example:

1. 9 × 9 × 9 × 9 = 94 2. 175 = 17 × 17 × 17 × 17 × 17

*Note that 𝑎0 = 1

Changing a number into Index Form

To change a number into index form, divide the number repeatedly with the base until you get a 1.

For example:

1024

∴ 1024 = 45 = 210

Finding the value of 𝒂𝒏

To find the value of a number in index form, simply multiply the base repeatedly as many times as indicated by the index.

For example:

83 2 2
( )
3
=8×8×8 2 2
= ×
3 3
= 512
4
=
9

The Laws of Indices

𝒂𝒎 × 𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎+𝒏

For example:

1. 32 × 35 2. 3𝑎2 × 6𝑎4
= 32+5 = (3 × 6) × 𝑎2+4
= 37 = 18𝑎6

𝟏
𝒂𝒎 ÷ 𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎−𝒏 → 𝒂−𝒏 =
𝒂𝒏

For example:

1. 𝑝7 ÷ 𝑝5 2. 16𝑡 8 ÷ 4𝑡 3 3. 5−3 =
1
5.
1
= 4−6
16𝑡 8 53 46
= 𝑝7−5 = 3
4𝑡
= 𝑝2 1 1
= 4𝑡 8−3 4. 162 = 6. = 133
16−2 13−3
= 4𝑡 5

(𝒂𝒎 )𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎×𝒏

For example:

1. (𝑘10 )3 2. (52 × 63 )4 3. (6𝑘 4 )3

= 𝑘10×3 = 52×4 × 63×4 = 63 𝑘 4×3
= 𝑘 30 = 58 × 612 = 216𝑘12
 CHAPTER 1: INDICES
𝒎 𝒎 𝟏
𝒏 𝒏 𝒏
𝒂 𝒏 = √𝒂𝒎 = ( √𝒂) → 𝒂𝒏 = √𝒂

For example:
2 2 1
3 3
1. 273 = √272 = (√27) 2.
13
( ) = √( )
3 1
27 27

Operations involving the Law of Indices

One of the reasons of writing numbers in index form is that index form makes calculations involving extreme large or extremely small
number easier and faster.

For example:

1. Simplify
(46 × 33 )3
2
4. Find the value of 6. Simplify
2 2
2 2 (𝑚5 )5 ×(𝑛−2 )3
6× 3× 1 3
=4 ×33 3 ( ) (𝑚𝑛2 )2
64
= 44 × 32 2 𝑚2 ×𝑛−6
3 1 =
= (√( )) 𝑚 2 𝑛4
64
2. Evaluate = 𝑚2−2 × 𝑛−6−4
2
4 1 3 1 = 𝑚0 × 𝑛−10
203 ÷ 203 = (√( 3)) 1
4 1 4 = 10
= 203−3 1 2
𝑛
3 =( ) 7. Simplify
= 20 3 4 (𝑝5 𝑞 6 ×𝑝𝑟 5 )
1
= 201 = 𝑝8𝑞 𝑟
3 4
16
= 20 = 𝑝5+1−8 𝑞6−3 𝑟 5−4
5. Simplify = 𝑝−2 𝑞3 𝑟 1
3. Simplify 1 3 𝑞3𝑟
32 × (4−2 )2 × 25
5 2 =
𝑝2
(𝑥 2 𝑦 3 )4 × 𝑥 5 1 3

= 𝑥 2×4 𝑦 3×4 × 𝑥 5 = (25 )5

× [(22 )−2 ]2 × (52 )2
= 𝑥 8 𝑦12 × 𝑥 5 = 2 × 2−8 × 53
= 𝑥 8+5 𝑦12 = 2−7 × 53
53
= 𝑥13 𝑦12 =
27

Problem involving the Law of Indices

For example:

1. Given 74 × 7𝑡 = 79, find the 2. Solve (𝑚−2 )2 × (𝑚3 )−6 ÷

3 5
3. Evaluate 4−2 × 482 × 32.
3 5

value of 𝑡. 3
(𝑚−4 )8 . 3 5

74+𝑡 = 79 (22 )−2 × (24 × 3)2 × 32

5 3 3 3 5
4+𝑡 =9 𝑚−3 × 𝑚− 2 ÷ 𝑚− 2 = 2−4 × 24×2 × 32 × 32
5 3 3 5
𝑡 =9−4 −3+(− )−(− )
= 2−4 × 26 × 32+2
=𝑚 2 2
𝑡=5 5 3 8
= 𝑚−3−2+2 = 2−4+6 × 32
= 𝑚−4 = 22 × 34
1 = 4 × 81
=
𝑚4
= 324
 CHAPTER 1: INDICES

1. Write each of the following repeated multiplication in index form.

(a) 𝑑 × 𝑑 × 𝑑 × 𝑑 × 𝑑 × 𝑑 × 𝑑 (b) ⏟
(−29) × (−29) × … × (−29) (c) ⏟
(−12) × (−12) × … × (−12)
40 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

2. Complete the table below.

𝑎𝑛 Repeated multiplication Base Index

163

4×4×4×4×4×4×4

𝑘 4

𝑔 ×𝑔 ×…×𝑔
⏟
10 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

6×6 ×…×6
⏟
𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

3. Expand each of the following as a repeated multiplication, then find their value.
(a) 25 (b) 46 (c) (−20)2

4. Compare each of the following pairs of index number.

(a) 25 or 52 (b) (−1)9 or (−9)1

5. State each of the following number in index form with the base given in the bracket.
(a) 128 (2) (b) 4096 (4) (c) 243 (3)

6. Write each of the following number in index form with its prime factor as its base.
(a) 3125 (b) 512 (c) 1331 (d) 729

7. Find the value of 𝑦 for each of the following.

(a) 625 = 5𝑦 (b) 1296 = 6𝑦 (c) 64 = 4𝑦
 CHAPTER 1: INDICES

8. Simplify each of the following.

(a) 118 × 113 × 114 (f) 𝑛6 ÷ 𝑛5 (k) (45 ÷ 65 )5
3

(b) 𝑚2 × 𝑚10 × 𝑚12 × 𝑚 (g) (37 )5 7

𝑘 10 5
(l) ( 5)
𝑚

(c) 221 ÷ 2 (h) (−𝑘)13

5 3 3
(m) (𝑝4 )2 × (𝑝5 )5 ÷ (𝑝 −8 )4

1 4
(d) 16𝑥 16 ÷ 𝑥 4 3
(i) ( 𝑥 2 𝑦𝑧)
4 4
−2 3
(𝑡 3 ) ×(𝑡 2 )
(n) 9
−
(𝑡 16 ) 8

11𝑡
(e) (j) (𝑓 9 )4
33𝑡 3

−2
(𝑡 3 )
(o) 9
−
(𝑡 16 ) 8 ×(𝑡 2 )3

1 1 𝑚
9. State 𝑘 −5 in the form of . 10. State in the form of 𝑎 −𝑛 . 3
11. State √3435 in the form of 𝑎 𝑛 .
𝑎𝑛 𝑞6

12. Find the value of

1 1 1 1
(a) 102410 (b) 643 (c) 814 (d) 1000005

13. Find the value of each of the following.

2 3 4 3 2
(a) 643 (b) 814 (c) 1253 (d) 325 (e) 2435
 CHAPTER 1: INDICES

14. Find the value of each of the following.

1 2 1 2 3 3 1
(a) 164 × 2−2 (b) 273 × 3−2 × 814 (c) 3433 × 7−2 × 492 (d) 5−2 × 252 × 6252

15. Find the value of each of the following.

1 2 2 2 2 2
(a) 3−2 ÷ 812 (b) 225 ÷ 325 (c) 7293 ÷ 273 ÷ 3−2 (d) 512 ÷ 83 ÷ 163

16. Find the value for each of the following.

5 3 −4 1 1
(a) 646 (b) (94 ) (c) (144−2 )4 (d) (1024−4 )20

17. Find the value of each of the following.

(a) 108 × 100−3 × 1 2
(b) 7296 × (36 )3 ÷ (c)
2−7
(d)
53 ×6−4
÷
6−3 ×54
1
4 (64 ×5−3 ) 5−4 ×63
1 −2 (16−3 )2 ×(16−1 )2
1000 3
(243 )5

2 2
18. Given that 𝑝2 = 83 × 125− 3 , determine the value of 𝑝.

3 3
19. Given 𝑤 3 = 642 ÷ 2435 , find the value of 𝑤.

5 6
1 − 5 5 5
6 ( ) −
20. Simplify ( 𝑝 𝑞 ) −2 3
÷ (𝑝 6 𝑞 ) .
6
64