MATHEMATICS

GRADE 9

DATE: ……………………………………….
TOPIC: EXPONENTS
CONCEPTS & SKILLS TO BE ACHIEVED:
By the end of these lessons, learners should know and be able to:
• Apply the Exponential Laws.
• Integer exponents.
• Solving exponential equations.
• Scientific notation.
DBE Workbook, Sasol-Inzalo book, Textbooks,
RESOURCES:
https://www.visnos.com
ONLINE RESOURCES
http://www.virtualnerd.com

DAY 1:
INTRODUCTION: REVISION

Remember that exponents are a shorthand way of writing repeated multiplication

of the same number by itself.

power exponent

𝟏𝟐𝟓 = 𝟓 × 𝟓 × 𝟓 = 𝟓𝟑
base

Expanded notation Exponential notation

Suppose we are asked to simplify: 32 × 34 =

The solution is:

𝟑𝟐 × 𝟑𝟒 = 𝟑𝟐+𝟒 = 𝟑𝟔

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 Laws of Exponents

LAW 1. Powers of a Product

LAW 1. When you multiply and the bases are the same, you add the exponents.

𝒂𝒎 × 𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎+𝒏

Example: (1) 25 × 2−3 = 25−3 = 22

(2) −3𝑎2 × 6𝑎2 = −18𝑎7
(3) 3 × 33𝑥 × 32 = 31+3𝑥+2 = 33𝑥+3
(4) −2𝑥 3 𝑦 4 × −6𝑥𝑦 5 = 12𝑥 3+1 𝑦 4+5 = 12𝑥 4 𝑦 9

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CLASSWORK: (You try!)

Work through the following exercises and write the answers in your classwork book. The
answers can be found at the end of the day’s lesson

ACTIVITY 1:
Express each of the following as a product of the powers of 2, as indicated by
the brackets.

a) (2 × 2 × 2) × (2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2) =
b) (2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2) × (2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2) × (2 × 2)=
c) (2 × 2) × (2 × 2) × (2 × 2) × (2 × 2) × (2 × 2) × (2 × 2)=

ACTIVITY 2:
Copy and complete the following statements so that they are true.
Use your answers in Question1 to assist you.

a) 23 ×. . . . . . . . .. = 212 b) 25 ×. . . . . . .× 22 = 212

c) 22 × 22 × 22 × 22 × 22 × 22 =…… d) 28 × ………….= 212

ACTIVITY 3:
Simplify the following (leave the answers in exponential form)
a) 5𝑥 × 5𝑥 2 =
b) 12𝑎 × 3𝑎6 × 𝑎2 =
c) 𝑥 2 × 𝑥 4 × 𝑥 = REMEMBER
d) 2 × 2 =
𝑎 𝑏 1) Signs
e) 8𝑥 2 × 4𝑥 5 = 2) Coefficients
f) −2𝑥 𝑦 × −4𝑥𝑦 =
2 6 3) Same Base
g) (−𝑎 )(2𝑎 )(−3𝑎) =
4 2

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 DAY 2:
LESSON DEVELOPMENT:

LAW 2. Quotients of powers

LAW 2. When you divide and the bases are the same, you substract the
exponents

𝒂𝒎 ÷ 𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎−𝒏

REMEMBER
4) Signs
Example: 1) 37 ÷ 35 = 37−2 = 32 5) Coefficients
𝑏11 6) Same Base
2) = 𝑏11−9 = 𝑏 2
𝑏9
8𝑥 9 8
3) = − 𝑥 9−4 = −2𝑥 5
−4𝑥 4 4

2𝑥 10 𝑦 3 2 1
4) = 𝑥 10−1 𝑦 3−2 = 𝑥 9 𝑦1
4𝑥𝑦 2 4 2

CLASSWORK: Activity
Simplify the following:

𝑘7
1) 𝑎5 ÷ 𝑎2 = 2) =
𝑘3

𝑎3
3) = 4) 254 ÷ 254 =
𝑎−2

121𝑎8 −120𝑎5 𝑏5
5) = 6) =
−11𝑎7 15𝑎𝑏2

23 × 25 35 × 24 × 3
7) = 8) =
22 22 × 34

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 DAY 3:
LESSON DEVELOPMENT:
LAW 3. Raising a power to another power

LAW 3. When raising a power to another power we multiple the exponents.

(𝒂𝒎 )𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎×𝒏

REMEMBER
The exponent is only
Example (1) (𝑥 3 )2 = 𝑥 3×2 = 𝑥 6 applicable to the factors
(2) (34 )5 = 34×5 = 320 inside the bracket.
−52 = −5 × 5 = −25
(−5)2 = −5 × −5 = 25
(3) 2(𝑎4 )2 = 2𝑎4×2 = 2𝑎8

(4) 2(𝑎2 )3 + 3(𝑎3 )2 = 2𝑎6 + 3𝑎6 power to another power

= 5𝑎6 add like terms

LAW 4. Raising a product to another power.

LAW 4. When a product is raised to another power then each factor of the
product must be raised to that power.

(𝒂𝒃)𝒎 = 𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒎

Example (1) (5𝑎3 )4 = 51×4 𝑎3×4 = 54 𝑎12

(2) (42 𝑥 3 )2 = 42×2 𝑥 3×2 = 44 𝑥 6

LAW 5. The power of zero.

𝑎4 𝑎×𝑎×𝑎×𝑎
Have a look at the following: 𝑎4 ÷ 𝑎4 = = =1
𝑎4 𝑎×𝑎×𝑎×𝑎

𝑎4
∴ 𝑎4 ÷ 𝑎4 = = 𝑎4−4 = 𝑎0 = 1
𝑎4

LAW 5. Any number raised to the power of zero is equal to one

𝒂𝟎 = 𝟏 or 1= 𝒂𝟎

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Example : (1) (6𝑥)0 = 1
(2) 𝑝0 = 1
(3) −4𝑥 0 𝑏 2 = −4 × 𝟏 × 𝑏 2 = −4𝑏 2

CLASSWORK:
Activity

1. What is wrong with these statements? Correct each one.

a) 23 × 24 = 212
b) 10 × 102 × 103 = 101×2×3 = 106
c) 32 × 33 = 36
d) 53 × 52 = 15 × 10

2. Mark each problem correct or incorrect and explain the mistakes.

a) 𝑏 3 × 𝑏 8 = 𝑏 24
b) (5𝑥)2 = 5𝑥 2
c) (−6𝑎) × (−6𝑎) × (−6𝑎) = (−6𝑎)3

3. Simplify the following:

a) (𝑎𝑏)3 = b) (2𝑥)2 =
c) (3𝑦)5 d) (3𝑐)2 =
e) (3𝑎𝑏3 )2 = f) (−2𝑥 2 𝑦)3 =
g) (3𝑐 3 𝑑 3 )2 (4𝑐𝑑)2 =

4. Simplify the following:

a) 60 =
b) −60 =
c) 5𝑥 0 =
d) −3𝑥 2 𝑦 0 =
𝑥0
e) =
3

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:
1) When raising a power to another power we multiple the exponents.
2) When a product is raised to another power then each factor of the product
must be raised to that power.
3) Any number raised to the power of zero is equal to one
4) If a number has no exponent, it actually has 1 as an” invisible exponent”
Example: 4 = 41 ; 𝑎 = 𝑎1 ; 𝑥𝑦 = 𝑥 1 𝑦1
5) When you square a negative number, the answer is always positive.
6) The exponent is only applicable to the factors inside the bracket.
−52 = −5 × 5 = −25
(−5)2 = −5 × −5 = 25
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 DAY 4:
LESSON DEVELOPMENT:
INTEGER EXPONENTS:
Negative exponent

𝟓𝟒 means 5×5×5×5. The exponent 4 indicates the number of appearances of the

repeated factor.

52 5×5 1
Example1. = =
53 5×5×5 5

52
From Exponent Law 2: = 52−3 = 5−1
53

𝟏
∴ = 𝟓−𝟏
𝟓

A Negative exponent indicate repetition of the multiplicative inverse of the base.

LAW 6. Negative exponent

𝟏 𝟏 𝒎 𝟏 𝒎 𝟏
𝒂−𝒎 = =( ) or (𝒂) = = 𝒂−𝒎
𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒂𝒎

Change the sign of exponent

1 1 1 1 1 4
Example 2. 5−4 = × × × = ( )
5 5 5 5 5 Multiplicative inverse of base

Change the sign of exponent

2 −1 3 1
Example 3. (3) = ( )
2 Multiplicative inverse of base

The same exponential laws for positive exponents apply for negative exponents.

Example 4. 2−3 × 2−4 = 2−3−4 = 2−7

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7
Or 2−3 × 2−4 = (2 × 2 × 2 ) × (2 × 2 × 2 × 2) = (2)

1 1 1 6
Example 5. (33 )−2 = 33×−2 = 3−6 or (33 )−2 = (33 )2
= 36
= (3)

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Rewrite the following with positive exponents:

1 −6 3 6
Example 6. ( ) = ( ) = 36
3 1

1 1
Example 7. (𝑎3 𝑏)−2 = (𝑎3 2 =
𝑏) 𝑎6 𝑏 2

3
Example 8. 3𝑥 −2 = 𝑥2

CLASSWORK:
Work through the following exercises and write the answers in your classwork book. The answers
can be found at the end of the day’s lesson:

ACTIVITY 1:
Express each of the following in the exponential notation in two ways: with positive
exponents and with negative exponents:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
a) × × × × × × =
4 4 4 4 4 4 4

1 1 1
b) × × =
3 3 3

ACTIVITY 2:
Simplify the following and write the answer with positive exponents:

a) 2−6 10−1
b)
2 .3−1

c) (3𝑥 −1 )3 𝑥 −2 𝑦 0
d)
2−3

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:

• A Negative exponent indicate repetition of the multiplicative inverse of the

base.

• The same exponential laws for positive exponents apply for negative exponents.

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HOMEWORK:
Do the following exercises,applying what you have learnt today. FIRST ATTEMPT TO
DO ALL YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU CHECK YOUR ANSWERS IN THE
MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON
QUESTION 1:
Simplify the following and write your answers with positive exponents.

a) 5−1 b) (−2)−3
3 −1 1 −2
c) ( ) d) ( )
5 3

QUESTION 2:
Simplify the following and write your answers with positive exponents.

a) 25 × 2−3 b) 2𝑎 −2 × 3𝑎3 × 𝑎0
c) (2 + 3)−2 d) 23 + 2−3
e) (3−1 )−1 f)
(4𝑥)−2
3𝑥 −2

DAY 5:
LESSON DEVELOPMENT:
SOLVING EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS:

An exponential equation is an equation in which the variable is in the exponent.

So, when you solve exponential equations, you are solving questions of the form;
“To what power must the base be raised for the statement to be true?”
To solve this kind of equation, remember that:

If 𝒂𝒎 = 𝒂𝒏 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝒎=𝒏

In other words, if the base is the same on either side of the equation, then the
exponents are the same.

EXAMPLES: Solve for 𝑥 in the following equations:

1) 3𝑥 = 243 (rewrite the RHS in exponential with same base LHS)

3𝑥 = 35 (rewrite using the same base as LHS)
𝑥=5 (equate the exponents)

2) 3𝑥+2 = 243
3𝑥+2 = 35 (rewrite using the same base)
𝑥+2=5 (equate the exponents)
𝑥 =5−2
𝑥=3
Check: LHS = 33+2 = 35 = 243
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3) 3𝑥+2 = 1 (remember 1 = 30 )
3 𝑥+2
=3 0
(rewrite using the same base)
𝑥+2=0 (equate the exponents)
𝑥 = −2
Check: LHS = 3−2+2 = 30 = 1

4) Follow the same method for negative exponents

1
2𝑥 = 32

1
2 𝑥 = 25 (rewrite using the same base)
1 5
2𝑥 = (2)
2𝑥 = 2 −5
(law of negative exponents)
𝑥 = −5 (equate the exponents)
1 1
Check: LHS = 2 = 25 = 32
−5

CLASSWORK:
Work through the following exercises and write the answers in your classwork book. The
answers can be found at the end of the day’s lesson:

ACTIVITY 1: Use the following table to answer questions that follow:

𝒙 2 3 4 5
𝟐𝒙 4 8 16 32
𝟑𝒙 9 27 81 243
𝟓𝒙 25 125 625 3 125

Find the value of 𝑥:

a) 2𝑥 = 32 b) 3𝑥 = 81
c) 5𝑥 = 625 d) 3𝑥+2 = 27
e) 5𝑥+1 = 25 f) 2𝑥−1 = 8

ACTIVITY 2:
Solve these exponential equations. You may use your calculator if necessary.

1 1
a) 4𝑥 = b) 2𝑥−1 =
64 8
c) 3 𝑥+2
=
1
d) 32−𝑥
= 81
729

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IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:
If the base is the same on either side of the equation, then the
exponents are the same.

If 𝒂𝒎 = 𝒂𝒏 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝒎=𝒏

• rewrite the RHS with in exponential with same base LHS (prime factors)
• equate the exponents
• Follow the same method for negative exponents

HOMEWORK:
Do the following exercises,applying what you have learnt today. FIRST ATTEMPT TO
DO ALL YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU CHECK YOUR ANSWERS IN THE
MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

QUESTION 1:
Find the value of 𝑥:
a) 3𝑥 = 9 b) 4𝑥 = 256
c) 5𝑥 = 3 125 d) 3𝑥−2 = 27
e) 5𝑥+2 = 625 f) 4𝑥−1 = 64
1 1
g) 4𝑥+2 = h) 53𝑥 =
256 125

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 DAY 6:
LESSON DEVELOPMENT:
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION:

Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are very big or very small.

Example

The diameter of a hydrogen atom, for example, is a very small number. It is 0,000000053 mm
The distance from the sun to the earth is, on average, 150 000 000 km.

We can rewrite the above numbers into scientific notation.

Decimal notation Scientific notation A number written in scientific notation

0,000 000 053 5,3 × 10−8 is the product of two numbers and
150 000 000 1,5 × 108 written in the form
𝒂 × 𝟏𝟎𝒃 ,
where 𝒂 is a decimal number from 1
to 9 and 𝒃 is an integer.

Any number can be written in scientific notation example:

40 = 4,0 × 101 and 2 = 2,0 × 100

EXAMPLE
1) For a very small number, the decimal comma is indicated and the comma need to move right
to the first number (from 1 to 9).

0,000 000 053 = 𝟓, 𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟖 (decimal comma moved 8 places to the right)

2) For a very large number, the decimal comma is at the end need to move to left after the first
number (from 1 to 9)

6 130 000 = 𝟔, 𝟏𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎𝟔 (decimal comma moved 6 places to the left)

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CLASSWORK:
Work through the following exercises and write the answers in your classwork book. The
answers can be found at the end of the day’s lesson:

ACTIVITY 1:
Write the following in scientific notation:

a) 134,56 b) 0,0000005678
c) 876 500 000 d) 0,001

ACTIVITY 2:
Is each of these numbers written in scientific notation? If not, rewrite it so that it is in scientific
notation.
a) 90,3 × 10−5 b) 100 × 102
c) 1,36 × 105 d) 2,01 × 10−2
e) 0,01 × 103 f) 0,6 × 108

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:

A number written in scientific notation can written in the form

𝒂 × 𝟏𝟎𝒃 ,

where 𝒂 is a decimal number from 1 to 9 and 𝒃 is an integer.

HOMEWORK:
Do the following exercises,applying what you have learnt today. FIRST
ATTEMPT TO DO ALL YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU CHECK YOUR ANSWERS IN
THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

QUESTION 1:
Write the following in scientific notation:

a) 100 b) 89 100 000 000 000

c) 0,006789 d) 0,0000000000321

QUESTION 2:
Express the following numbers in ordinary decimal notation:

a) 1,234,× 106 b) 5 × 10−1

c) 4,5 × 105 c) 6,543 × 10−11
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 MEMORANDUM:
DAY 1:
CLASSWORK:

ACTIVITY 1: a) 23 × 29 = 211

b) 25 × 25 × 22 = 212

c) 22 × 22 × 22 × 22 × 22 × 22 = 212

ACTIVITY 2: a) 29

b) 25

c) 212

d) 24

ACTIVITY 3: a) 25𝑥 3
b) 36𝑎9
c) 𝑥7
d) 2𝑎+𝑏
e) 32𝑥 7
f) 8𝑥4 𝑦7
g) 6𝑎7

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 MEMORANDUM:
DAY 2:
CLASSWORK:

ACTIVITY : 1) 𝑎3
2) 𝑘4
3) 𝑎5
4) 1
5) −11𝑎
6) −8𝑎4 𝑏 3
7) 26 = 64
8) 22 32 = 4 × 9 = 36

MEMORANDUM:
DAY 3:
CLASSWORK:

ACTIVITY 1:
1a) 23+4 = 27
b) 101+2+3 = 106
c) 32+3 = 25
d) 53+2 = 55 = 3125

2 a) 𝑏 3+8 = 𝑏11
b) 52 𝑥 2 = 25𝑥 2
c) correct

3 a) 𝑎3 𝑏 3
b) 22 𝑥 2
c) 35 𝑦 5
d) 32 𝑐 2
e) 32 𝑎2 𝑏 6
f) −23 𝑥 6 𝑦 3
g) (32 𝑐 6 𝑑 6 )(42 𝑐 2 𝑑 2 ) = 9 × 16 𝑐 6+2 𝑑 6+2 = 144 𝑐 8 𝑑 8

4 a) 1
b) -1
c) 5
d) −3𝑥 2
1
e) 3

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 MEMORANDUM:
DAY 4:
CLASSWORK:
1 7
ACTIVITY 1: a) (4 ) or (4)−7

1 3
b) (3) or (3)−3

1 6
ACTIVITY 2: a) (2)

3 3
b) =
2 .10 20

33
c)
𝑥3

23
d)
𝑥2

HOMEWORK:

1 1
QUESTION 1: a) (5)

1 −3
b) (− 2)

5 1
c) (3)

d) 32

QUESTION 2: a) 22
b) 6𝑎1
1 2
c) (5)

1 3
d) 23 + (2)

e) 32

1
f) 3 .4 2

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 MEMORANDUM:
DAY 5:
CLASSWORK:

ACTIVITY 1: a) 5
b) 4
c) 4
d) 1
e) 1
f) 4

ACTIVITY 2: a) -3
b) -2
c) -8
d) −2

HOMEWORK:

QUESTION 1: a) 2
b) 4
c) 5
d) 5
e) 2
f) 4
g) -6
h) -1

MEMORANDUM:
DAY 6:
CLASSWORK:

ACTIVITY 1: a) 1,3456 × 102

b) 5,678 × 10−7
c) 8,765 × 108
d) 1,0 × 103

ACTIVITY 2: a) 9,03 × 10−4

b) 1,0 × 104
e) 1,0 × 101
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 f) 6,0 × 107

HOMEWORK:

QUESTION 1: a) 1,0 × 102

b) 8,91 × 1013
c) 6,789 × 10−3
d) 3,21 × 10−11

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