Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

UNIT 2: POWERS AND ROOTS

Powers with integer exponent:

If a is a real number, and n is a positive integer:

a n =a · a ·... · a , n times.

a is the base and n is the index or exponent.

It is read:

• a raised to the n-th power.

• a raised to the power of n.
• a to the n-th.
• a to the power of n.

Examples: Calculate:

a) 34
b) −22
c) −23
4
d) −2
5
e) −2

To calculate a power with a negative exponent:

−n 1
a = n
a
Examples: Calculate:

a) 3−2 d) −3−2

b) 3−3 e) −3−3

c) 3−4 f) −3−4

To calculate powers of fractions, remember this:

n
an
a
b
= n
b
−n n

 
a
b
=
b
a

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Examples: Calculate:

2
a) 
7
5 e)  1
−2

5
4
b)  
−1
3 f)   −1
−5

2
−4
c) 
3
2 g) −2 −3

−1

 
−3
d)  
−2
5
h)
−2
5

However, if a is a real number different from 0, we always know that:

−1 1
a 0=1 a 1=a a =
a

Properties of Powers:

n m nm
Product of powers with the a · a =a
same base
n
Quotient of powers with the a
same base m
=a n−m
a
m
Power of a power an =a n ·m
Power of a product  a · b  n=a n · b n
n
Power of a quotient an
a
b
= n
b

Be careful! The last two properties are not true in case of the power of an addition or subtraction:

 a±b  n≠a n±b n

Examples: Calculate, expressing the result as a power:

a) −2 5 ·  −2 −3

−4
b) [ −3 6 : −3 −2 ]

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

−2 −5
c)   
3
7
·
3
7
·
3
7

−4 −3
d)    
−5
2
:
−5
2

3 −2 −6
e)  
4
5
·
4
5
·
5
4

5 −2

[      ]
−3 −4
2 2 2
f) · :
11 11 11

Your
Turn

1. Calculate:

a) −2 3 b) −23 c) −24 d) −2 4

2. Calculate, writing the result as a power:

a) 2−3 · 2−4 · 2 e)
−4
[ −3 2 ] : [ −3 −2 ]
−5

b) 35 : 3−2 :37 5 2

[      ]
−1 −3
3 4 4
f) · ·
−3 −7 4 3 3
c)  
2
5
:
2
5 −5

2
g) 2 ·
1
2
3
 · −2 
4

[  ]
3
1
d) · 4−6
4 −3
h)  13−6 :13−4 

3. Simplify:

a)  2x 5 y 3  ·  5x−3 y 5 b)  x 6 y −3  :  x 5 y−1 c)  24x 2 y 3  :  6 x y−1 

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

4. Simplify:

23 ·52 · 7−2
a) 3 2
2 ·5 · 7

−34 ·5−2 · 7
b) −4
34 · 53 ·52 ·  7 2 

34 · 9 · 5
c)
25 ·3

16 · 2 3 · 52 · 125
d) −2
2−2 ·53 ·  52 

Standard form (scientific notation):

Powers of ten:
−1 1
0 10 = =0,1
10 =1 10
101=10 1
10−2= 2 =0,01
102 =100 10
103=1.000 1
10−3= 3 =0,001
104 =10.000 10
…................... −4 1
10 = 4 =0,0001
10
….....................

Scientific Notation: Standard form or scientific notation is used to write very large number or very
small number in a simple way.
In standard form or scientific notation a number is written as a ·10 n , where a is a number
between 1 and 10, 1a10 . n is called the order of magnitude.

Examples:

1. Write in scientific notation the following numbers:

a) 5000 c) 45670000 e) 0,000045

b) 45000 d) 0,0005 f) 0,00004567

2. Write using the habitual notation the numbers:

a) 4 · 105 d) 7,49 ·10−5

b) 4,93 · 103 e) 2,002 · 107
c) 8· 10−3 f) 4,732 · 10−6

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Scientific notation and calculator: To introduce numbers in the calculator we use the bottom EXP.

To write the number 4,51 · 105 we introduce: 4.51 EXP 5.

Operations in Scientific Notation:

Addition and Subtraction: To add or subtract numbers expressed in scientific notation, we need to
have the same order of magnitude, so the significant figures can be added or subtracted.

Examples: Calculate, showing the result in scientific notation:

a) 4,6 · 1093,92 · 109

b) 9,03 ·10−52,14 ·10−5

c) 7,2 ·10 6−4 · 104

d) 4,5 · 1071,32 ·10 10

e) 6,02 ·10−5 8,1· 10−6

f) 4,3 · 10−3−2,4 · 10−6

Multiplication and division: To multiply or divide numbers expressed in scientific notation, it is

not required to have the same order of magnitude. They are performed using the rules for operation
in exponential form.

Examples: Calculate, showing the result in scientific notation:

a) 4,2 ·10 4 · 2· 106 

b) 5,4· 10−5 ·3 ·10−4 

c) 9,46· 10−6 :2 ·10 5

d) 4,2 ·10 12· 1,1 · 10−5

e) 3,69· 10−5 :3· 10−5 

f) 4,8 ·10−11 :6· 10−8 

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Your
Turn

1. Write using scientific notation:

a) 45 000 000 e) 938

b) 0,000 000 7 f) 0,0895
c) 3 billion g) half thousandth
d) 45 millionths h) 675 million

2. Write in normal notation:

a) 9,2 ·10 7 d) 9,5 ·10 3

b) 7,35 ·10−7 e) 7,8932 ·10 6
c) 9,5 ·10−3 f) 7,8932 ·10−6

3. Calculate, giving the result in scientific notation:

a) 7,3 ·10124,08· 1012

b) 8,123· 102 1,3· 10−3

c) 7,65 ·10−13−4 ·10−15

d) 9,7 ·1014−5· 1015

e) 4,5 ·10 14· 1,2 · 1013 

f) 7,6 ·1010 ·5 ·10−4 

g) 9,84 ·10−17 :2 ·10 7

h) 6,44· 10−9 :7 ·10−16 

4. Calculate:

3,2 · 104 5,6· 103

a)
1,014 · 107−9,2 · 106

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

4,27 ·10−3 −1,1· 10−5

b) −8 −9
2,9 ·10 1 · 10

 4,3· 106 ·3,2 ·10 7

c)
 2· 10−6 ·8 ·10 13

 4,9· 1012  ·1,54 ·10−8 

d) −3 −19
7· 10 ·1,4 · 10 

5. The speed of the light is 3 ·108 m/s. If the Sun is 1,5· 1011 metres from Earth, how
many seconds does it take light to reach the Earth?

6. A litre is equal to 1· 109 mm3 . There are roughly 5· 106 red blood cells in 1 mm 3 of
human blood. How many red blood cells are there in a litre of human blood?

7. The human eye blinks about 6,25· 106 times each year. About how many times has the
eye of a 14 year old blinked? Give the result in scientific notation.

8. Helium atoms are the smallest particles of any gas that exits. They are one tenth of billionth
of a metre in diameter. Write this number in scientific notation.

9. The distance from the Sun to the Andromeda galaxy is 2,2 million light-years. Ligth travel at
a speed of 3 ·108 m/s, that is 9,46 ·10 15 m/year (called a light-year). How long does it
take light to travel from the Sun to the Andromeda galaxy?

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Surd or Radicals:

 a is the square root of a.

3 a is the cube root of a.
n a is the n-th root of a, for example 5 7 is the fifth root of seven.
The n-th root of a number a is another number b, such that b n=a .

n a=b ⇔ bn=a

Examples:

52=25⇒  25=5
2
−5 =25 ⇒  25=−5 }
⇒  25=±5 25 has two square roots.

−25 is not a real number. -25 does not have any real square root.
53=125⇒ 3 125=5 125 has one cube root.

−53=−125⇒ 3 −125=−5 -125 has one cube root.

54=625⇒ 4 625=5
4 4
−5 =625 ⇒  625=−5 }
⇒ 4 625=±5 625 has two fourth roots.

4 −625 is not a real number. - 625 does not have any real fourth root.

Radicand Index Roots

odd n 1 positive root
a0
even n 2 roots: positive and negative

n a a=0 odd or even n 1 root: n 0=0

odd n 1 negative root
a0
even n any real root

A surd or a radical is a root which cannot be evaluated without approximation.

Examples:  2 ,  3 , 3 5 …
A surd or a radical can be expressed as a power with a fractional exponent:

n
m
 a n =a m

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

1 1 2 7
Examples:  2=2 2 3
 2=2 3
5
 32=3 5 4
 57=5 4
Two radicals are equivalent, if they have the same base and the fractions of their exponents are
equivalent when we express the radicals using fractional exponents.

m p m p
a n and a q are equivalent if =
n q

Examples:

a)  2 and 6 8 are equivalent radicals.

b) 3 75 and 6 710 are equivalent radicals.

Operations with radicals:

Reducing radicals to common index:

Examples:

1. Reduce to common index the radicals:  3 , 4 2 , 5 7 .

2. Order from lowest to highest the radicals: 4 2 ,  8 , 3 4 .

Extracting factors out of the radical:

Examples:

a) 4 59 b) 3 511 c)  37 c) 3 32

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Your
Turn

1. Order from lowest to highest: 3 3 ,  27 , 6 9 .

2. Simplify, extracting factors out of the radicals:

a)  75 d) 4 59
b) 3 28 e) 8 a 53
c) 5 313 f) 5 b71

3. Introduce factors in the radicals:

a) 3  5 c) 5 3 2

b) 2  3 d) 7 4 3

4. Simplify:

a) 3 250000 b) 5 512

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Adding and subtracting radicals:

We can only add or subtract equivalent radicals, that is radicals with the same radicand and the
same index.

Examples: Calculate:

a) 3  5−2  56  5

b) 4  2− 23  2

c) 5  3− 2 32  2

d)  8−3  26 128

e)  12− 75 48− 3
f)  24 54− 6 150
3 1
g)  8− 18  32− 50
2 4

h)  125 45−3  20 5

Multiplying and dividing radicals:

To multiply or divide radicals, we need to have the same index. The index of the product or quotient
is the same, and we have to multiply or divide the radicands. In case we do not have the same index,
we will have to reduce to common index.

n a = n a
 a · n b=n a · b
n

n b b
Examples: Calculate:

5
a) 5 2 ·  23
3
b)  3·  32
c) 4 57 : 4 5 2
d) 3 54 : 4 5

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Powers and roots of radicals:

m m n
 n a  = n a m   a=  a
n ·m

Examples: Calculate:

3
a)  4 7 
6
b)  5 2 2 
c) 5
5 3

d) 34

Your
Turn

1. Simplify:

a) 5 a 10 · b15
b) 3 36 ·59
c)  18· 36 · 49 · 2
2. Calculate and simplify if it is necessary:

3
a)  2 18
4
5
b)  2 · 3 2 ·  23
3 2x y
c)
5 2x 2 y
d) 3 a  a

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

3. Calculate:

2
a) 8− 2 50− 98
3

b) 3  5−4  207  45

c)  45−3 125

 162−  18 
2 50
d)
3 5

4. Calculate:

a)   3 2  ·  3−  2

b)  5− 2  ·  5 2
2
c)   73 
2
d)  1− 2 
2
e)  2  21 

f)  3  2−4  ·  3  24 

g)  52  2  ·   5−2  2 

h)  5  33  2  · 5  3−3  2 

Rationalization:

It is untidy to have a fraction which has a surd on the denominator. This can be tidied up by
multiply the top and the bottom of the fraction by a surd. This is known as rationalizing the
denominator, since surds are irrational numbers and so you are changing the denominator from an
irrational to a rational number.

There are same cases:

a
• . If we have a square root in the denominator, we multiply both, numerator and
b
denominator, by the surd found in the denominator.

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Examples:

2
a)
3
2
b)
2

a
• n . If we have another index of the surd different from 2, we should multiply
 bm
numerator and denominator by the surd n b n−m .

Examples:

3
a) 5
 23
1
b) 3
5
a a a a
• ; ; ; . If we find a sum or subtraction in the
b  c b−  c  b  c  b−  c
denominator, we should multiply both, numerator and denominator, by the conjugate of the
expression found in the denominator.

Examples:

1
a)
5− 3
5
b)
2  3

2
c)
1− 2

6
d)
 7− 5

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Unit 2: Powers and roots. Mathematics 4th E.S.O.

Keywords:

power = potencia
base = base
exponent / index = exponente
Standard form / scientific notation = notación científica
order of magnitude = orden de magnitud
light-year = año luz
square root = raíz cuadrada
cube root = raíz cúbica
fourth root = raíz cuarta
...
surd / radical = radical
radicand = radicando
index = índice
Rationalization = Racionalización
to rationalize = racionalizar
conjugate = conjugado

15