Indices

Communicates and connects mathematical ideas using appropriate terminology, diagrams and symbols.
Applies appropriate mathematical techniques to solve problems.
Recognises and explains mathematical relationships using reasoning.
Operates with positive-integer and zero indices of numerical bases.

Pre-test

A Factors
A number is divisible by another if there is no remainder after performing the division.
If the divisor goes into the dividend exactly, then we say that the divisor is a factor of the
original number.
dividend
E.g. 27 ÷ 4 = 6 r. 3
divisor
Sometimes, we can tell whether the divisor is a factor of the dividend just by looking at the
number. We can do this by performing the following divisibility tests.

Divisibility tests
divisor Check
1 All numbers are divisible by 1.
2 All even numbers are divisible by 2; the last digit must be 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
3 The sum of the digits must be divisible by 3, e.g. 54 327.
4 The number formed by the last wo digits must be divisible by 4, e.g. 128.
5 The last digit must be 0 or 5.
6 The number must be divisible by 2 and 3, e.g. 186.
7 -- (no easy test to determine divisibility)
8 The number formed by the last three digits must be divisible by 8, e.g. 17 176.
9 The sum of the digits must be divisible by 9, e.g. 11 583.
10 The last digit must be 0.

Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime
numbers.
Determine and apply tests of divisibility for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10.
Verify the various tests of divisibility using a calculator (Problem Solving).
Apply tests of divisibility mentally as an aid to calculator (Problem Solving).

1
Prime and composite numbers
A prime number is a positive whole number that has only two factors: 1 and itself. A
number that has more than two factors, including 1, is called a composite number.
A number cannot be prime and composite.
Example
5 9 11 17 22 35
prime   

composite 1×5 1×3×3 1 × 11 1 × 17 1 × 2 × 11 1×5×7

If number is divisible by a composite number, then it is also divisible by the factors of that
number.

Note
The number 1 is not a prime, or a composite, number.

Prime factors
To find the prime factors of a number:
1. list all factors;
2. identify the prime numbers in this list.
Example
Find the prime factors of 30:
1. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 30
2. 2, 3, 5
Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime
numbers.
Express a number as a product of its prime factors, using index notation where
appropriate.
Recognise that if a given number is divisible by a composite number, then it is also divisible
by the factors of that number (Reasoning).

B Index notation
When we multiply by the same number many times, it can look quite daunting, e.g. 3 × 3 ×
3 × 3 × 3 × 3.
By using index notation we can express long multiplications more clearly.
index/exponent/‘power’
𝑛
𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎 × …× 𝑎 = 𝑎
⏟
base
expanded form 𝑛 times
index form

2
We say 𝑎𝑛 is “𝑎 to the power of 𝑛”.
𝑎𝑛 ≠ 𝑎 × 𝑛 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 36
⏟ 3+3+3+3+3+3=3×6
⏟
6 times 6 times

Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime
numbers.
Describe numbers written in 'index form' using terms such as 'base', 'power', 'index',
'exponent'.

Evaluating numbers written in index notation

Powers have the same importance as multiplication in the order of operations, e.g.
3 + 2 × 42 = 3 + 2 × 16
= 3 + 32
= 35
Consider a negative base.
 If the index is even, then the basic numeral (the value of the expression) will be
positive.
 If the index is odd, then the basic numeral will also be negative.

Evaluate numbers expressed as powers of integers, e.g. 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟖, (−𝟐)𝟑 = −𝟖.

Investigate and generalise the effect of raising a negative number to an odd or even power
on the sign of the result (Communicating).
Apply the order of operations to evaluate expressions involving indices, with and without
using a calculator.

C Prime decomposition
All composite numbers can be separated into prime factors, that when all multiplied
together give the original number. One way to find these factors is via a factor tree, until
the final branches are all primes, e.g.

Powers are often used to easily show the number in ‘prime factor form’.

3
Convention: write the factors in increasing order, regardless of indices.
Example
120 2 288 4 2
60 5 2
12 3 72 6 2
4 2 3
2 12 3
4 2
120 = 23 × 3 × 5 2

288 = 25 × 32

Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime
numbers.
Use index notation to express powers of numbers (positive indices only).

D Roots
Squares and square roots
Any whole number multiplied by itself gives a square number, e.g. 32 = 3 × 3 = 9, and 9 is
a square number. Square numbers are also known as ‘perfect squares’.
All square numbers have an odd number of factors.  “Why?”
The symbol for squaring is ( )2. We don’t need the brackets, but it can make things clearer.
The square root of a number is the positive number that, when multiplied by itself, gives us
that value.

The symbol for taking the square root is √ , e.g.

√25 = 5: “the square root of 25 is 5”. like + and −, and × and ÷ are opposites
Finding the square root is the opposite of squaring a number.

Cubics and cube roots

Any whole number multiplied by itself twice gives a cubic number, e.g. 43 = 4 × 4 × 4 =
64.
The cube root of a number is the number that, when multiplied by itself twice, gives the
initial value.
3
The symbol for taking the cube root is √ , e.g.
3
√8 = 2: “the cube root of 8 is 2”.

4
Finding the cube root is the opposite of cubing a number.

Evaluating squares and cubes, and their roots

Squaring and cubing
92 = 9 × 9 = 81 (−4)2 = (−4) × (−4) = 16 02 = 0 × 0 = 0
23 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 (−3)3 = (−3) × (−3) × (−3) = −27 −(4)3 = −(4 × 4 × 4) = −64
The square of a product is the product of the squares, e.g.
36 = 62 = (2 × 3)2 = 22 × 32 = 4 × 9 = 36.
Similarly:
3357 = 152 = (3 × 5)3 = 33 × 53 = 27 × 125 = 3375.

Finding roots
√4 = 2 −√25 = −5 √−36 = not real
3 3 3
√125 = 5 √−64 = −4 − √−8 = −(−2) = 2
The square root of a product is the product of the square roots, e.g.

10 = √100 = √4 × 25 = √4 × √25 = 2 × 5 = 10.

and
3 3 3 3
6 = √216 = √8 × 27 = √8 × √27 = 2 × 3 = 6
If we write a number as a product of its prime factors, we can determine whether the
square or cube root of a number is an integer.
Example
48 = 24 × 3 216 4 2
∴ √48 = √24 × 3 2
= √24 × √3 54 9 3
= 22 × √3
3
√3 is not an integer, and so neither is √48. 6 2
3
216 = 23 × 33
3 3
∴ √216 = √23 × 33
3 3
= √23 × √33
=2×3
3
√216 is an integer.

5
Estimating
When the root of a number is non-integer, we can estimate its value by finding the two
whole numbers on either side. This is also useful as a ‘sanity check’.
Example
3
√50 =? √28 =?
Recall, square numbers: The cubic numbers begin:
𝑥 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 𝑥 1 2 3 4 5
𝑥2 1 4 9 16 25 36 49 64 𝑥3 1 8 27 64 125

and we see that and we see that

3
7 ≤ √50 ≤ 8 3 ≤ √28 ≤ 4

From here, we can test decimals between the two numbers we have found to get
successively closer estimates.

Note
Square and cube roots also have the same importance as multiplication in the order of
operations, e.g.
13 − 3 × √16 = 13 − 3 × 4
= 13 − 12
=1
√𝑎 + √𝑏 ≠ √𝑎 + 𝑏, e.g.
√36 + √64 = 6 + 8 = 14
≠ √36 + 64 = √100 = 10
Investigate and use square roots of perfect square numbers.
𝟑
Use the notations for square root (√ ) and cube root (√ ).
Recognise the link between squares and square roots and between cubes and cube roots,
𝟑
e.g. 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟖 and √𝟖 = 𝟐.
Determine through numerical examples that: (𝒂𝒃)𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐; √𝒂𝒃 = √𝒂 × √𝒃.
Express a number as a product of its prime factors to determine whether its square root
and/or cube root is an integer.
Find square roots and cube roots of any non-square whole number using a calculator, after
first estimating.
Determine the two integers between which the square root of a non-square whole number
lines (Reasoning).
Apply the order of operations to evaluate expressions involving square roots and cube
roots, with and without using a calculator.
Explain the difference between pairs of numerical expressions that appear similar, e.g. 'is
√36 + √64 equivalent to √36 + 64?' (Communicating, Reasoning).

6
E Index laws
Sometimes, we perform operations using numbers expressed in index form. While we could
write all of these expressions in expanded form, this could get messy very quickly. The
following index laws make this easier for us.
explain why 32 × 34 ≠ 96
𝑛 𝑚 𝑛+𝑚
Law 1: 𝑎 × 𝑎 = 𝑎
𝑎 ×𝑎 ×…× 𝑎 × ⏟
⏟ 𝑎 × 𝑎 × … × 𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎 = 𝑎𝑛+𝑚
𝑎 × …×𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎 = ⏟
𝑛 times 𝑚 times 𝑛+𝑚 times

Example
53 × 511 × 5 = 514 3 × 72 × 76 = 3 × 78 22 × 35 × 3 × 6 = 22 × 36 × (2 × 3)
= 23 × 37
explain why 𝑎 ≠ 0
Law 2: 𝑎𝑛 ÷ 𝑎𝑚 = 𝑎𝑛−𝑚 𝑎≠0
𝑛 times
⏞
𝑎 ×…× 𝑎 × 𝑎
cancelling = 𝑎𝑛−𝑚
𝑎 ×𝑎 ×…× 𝑎
⏟
𝑚 times

Example
57 × 53 = 54 3 × 115 ÷ 112 = 3 × 113 (22 × 35 ) ÷ (3 × 6) = (22 × 36 ) ÷ (2 × 3)
= 21 × 35

Law 3: (𝑎𝑛 )𝑚 = 𝑎𝑛×𝑚

𝑚 times
⏞
(𝑎𝑛 )𝑚 = (𝑎
⏟× 𝑎 × … × 𝑎 ) (𝑎 ⏟× 𝑎 × … × 𝑎) = 𝑎𝑛×𝑚
⏟× 𝑎 × … × 𝑎 ) … (𝑎
𝑛 times 𝑛 times 𝑛 times

Example
(32 )4 = 32×4 (6 × 53 )2 = 62 × 53×2 3(24 )5 = 3 × 24×5
= 36 = 62 × 56 = 24×5 × 3
= (2 × 3)2 × 56
= 22 × 32 × 56

Law 4: 𝑎0 = 1 𝑎≠0
3 873 𝑎𝑛
=1 =1 = 𝑎𝑛 ÷ 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛−𝑛 = 𝑎0 = 1
3 873 𝑎𝑛
Example
1720 = 1 (30 )4 = 1 5 × (22 )0 = 5 × 1
=5

7
HCF
By writing numbers in their prime decomposition we can find the highest common factor of
large numbers.
Example
120 2 288 4 2
60 5 2
12 3 72 6 2
4 2 3
2 12 3
4 2
120 = 23 × 3 × 5 2
= (23 × 3) × 5

288 = 25 × 32
= 22 × 23 × 3 × 3
= (22 × 3) × (23 × 3)
HCF: 23 × 3

Use index notation with numbers to establish the index laws with positive-integer indices
and the zero index.
Develop index laws with positive-integer indices and numerical bases by expressing each
term in expanded form.
Verify the index laws using a calculator (Reasoning).
Explain the incorrect use of index laws, e.g. explain why 32 × 34 ≠ 96 (Communicating,
Reasoning).

Use index notation with numbers to establish the index laws with positive-integer indices
and the zero index.
Establish the meaning of the zero index.
Verify the zero index law using a calculator (Reasoning).
Use index laws to simplify expressions with numerical bases, e.g. 𝟓𝟐 × 𝟓𝟒 × 𝟓 = 𝟓𝟕 .

Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime
numbers.
Express a number as a product of its prime factors, using index notation where
appropriate.
Find the highest common factor of large numbers by first expressing the numbers as
products of prime factors (Communicating, Problem Solving).