+

Properties of Exponents
+ Laws of Exponents
Let a and b be real numbers and let m and n be integers.

Product of Powers a m  a n  a mn

am
Quotient of Powers  a mn
, a0
a n

Power of a Power  (a m ) n  a mn
Power of a Product  (ab ) m  a m b m
m
a  a m
Power of Quotient    m , b  0
 b  b
Negative  1
Exponent a- m = m
,a ¹ 0
a

Zero Exponent a 0 1, a  0
 + Product of Powers:
 To multiply powers with the same base,
add the exponents and keep the common base.
Examples:

9
a.
6
x x 3
x

4 5 3 5 8
b. ( x y )( xy )  x y

Your turn!! Keep
common
1. b b  b
4 5
bases

Add
the
2. x yx y
2 2 2
x y
4 3
exponents

+

3. (2ab c)(3a b )  6a b c
2 3 4 3


+ Quotient of Powers:
 To divide powers with the same base,
subtract the exponents and keep the common base.
Also, remember that common factors cancel out!

Examples:

15 x 3 y 6
a.  3 x y
31 63
 3 x y
2 3

5 xy 3

Keep the base

where the exponent
is larger

 
b. 18 b c
7 6
2c 62
2c 4
 
81b c10 2
9 b 107 9 b 3
 Your turn!! Common
Factors
6x 5y 2
1.  6 x 51 y 21  6 x 4 y Cancel Out
xy
With
Common
20 a 2 b 2 
2a 21 b 2 2ab 2 Bases,
2.  
50a 5 5 Subtract
Exponents
+
2mn 5  n 53 n2
3.  
36 m 2 n 3 18 m 21 18 m
+ Power of a Power:
 To raise a power to a power, keep the base and
multiply the exponents.

 Examples:

a. (5 )
3 2
 5 15625
6

b. (x ) 6 3
x 18

 
 Your turn!! Keep
the
1. (s )  s
7 2 14
Base

Multiply
(4 )  4  4096
2 3 6 the
2.
Exponents

+
((2) )  (2)
3.
2 3 6
 64
 
QUIIIIZZZZZZZZ

1.

2.

3. X
 + Power of a Product:
 To raise a product to a power, raise each
factor to the power.

 Examples:
Simplify any
numeric bases raised

a. (3a)  3 a  9a
2 2 2 2 to exponents

(5 x yz )  5 x y z  25 x y z
b.
2 4 2 2 4 2 8 4 2 8

 remind you of the distributive property. Remember to

 This should

“distribute” the exponent to each base, numeric and variable!
Warning: No distributing over addition!!!
 Your turn!! Raise each
Factor to
1. (x y )  x y
5 2 3 15 6
the Power

2. (7m 7
) 7 m
2 2 14
 49 m 14
It’s Like the
Distributive
 2 4 Property
3. (3a b )  3 4 a 8 b 4  81a 8 b 4
+
 
+ Power of Quotient:
 To raise a quotient to a power, raise the numerator
and the denominator to the power.

Examples:
3
2 x  2 3 x 3 8x 3

a.    
 y 
2
y 6
y 6

2
m 2 n  m 4
n 2

b.   
 p  p 2
Your turn!! Raise the
numerator
4 and

1. xy
3 x 4
y 12
x 4
y 12
denominator
 2   4 8  to the power
5 z  5 z 625 z 8

Simplify any
3 factors with
15  15 3
3375 numeric
2.    3 3 
2 x   2 x 8x 3
bases

+ 3
xyz  x y z
3 3 3

3.    3 3 3
abc  a b c
+ Negative Exponent Property:
 Bases with negative exponents will become
denominators, changing the exponents to
positive.

 Example:

- 3 1 1
1. 2 = 3 =
2 8

y
- 2
2. x y = 2
x
+ Your turn!!

y 5 1
1.  5
y
4
2b
2. 2a b 2 4  2
 a

3
13 13 x
 3. 3

 y
x y

1
4. a b 1 2  2
ab
 
+ Zero Exponent:
 Any number/variable raised to the zero power
is equal to “1”.

 Examples:

3 xy
a. 0
 3 x 1  3 x

b.(55abc ) 1
2 0

 
Your turn!! Anything
Raised to
1. (2 xy ) 1
4 0 the Zero
Power

2. 45703 a b  a b
0 2 2

=1


+
3. (2 x y ) 1
2 0 0


+ Simplifying Exponential Expressions
 To simplify exponential expressions
completely:

 Get rid of parentheses

[

 Get rid of negative exponents

 Make sure there is only one exponent of each base

[

 Cancel out common factors

+ Simplify the exponential expression.

p
multiste
 Examples:
A.

8 p 3q 9 4p
= 2
2 p 2 q 11 q
2
3a 3 b
=
B. 9b 2 3a 3


4 xy z 
2
3 2 2 6 4
C. = 16 x y z
5
mn 
3
m 5 n15
D.   = 5
 p  
p
+ Your turn!!

p
multiste
6
- 3 4 - 2 k
1. ( k m ) = 8
m
5 - 4
2. 9 s t 5 9q 8

- 4 = 3s 5. ( - 3 p
- 5 4 2
q ) = 10
3t p
0 - 6
16 q r 3
3. = 4q r y z 7 4
4q - 3 r - 7 6. - 2 - 1 2 = y
7
(z ) z
- 1 3 2 4
4. ( x ×x y ) = x y8 8