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Exponent Activity

The document discusses exponents and operations involving them. It explains that the base is the number being multiplied, while the power indicates how many times to multiply the base by itself. It provides examples of calculating powers and discusses rules for multiplying, dividing, and raising bases with exponents.

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benlipson7
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84 views

Exponent Activity

The document discusses exponents and operations involving them. It explains that the base is the number being multiplied, while the power indicates how many times to multiply the base by itself. It provides examples of calculating powers and discusses rules for multiplying, dividing, and raising bases with exponents.

Uploaded by

benlipson7
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exponent Activity

Monday, October 08, 2012 10:43 AM

The base is the number being multiplied. For example, if you were to calculate 9 to the 5th power, 9 would be the base in this calculation. The power is the number that shows how many times the base must be multiplied. For example, if you were to calculate 9 to the 5th power, five would be the power of course. A base and a power tells you how many times to multiply a number by itself. For example, if you were to calculate 9 to the 5th power, you would do 9x9x9x9x9 because that would be multiplying it by itself 5 times, or to the 5th power. A power is a shortcut to the actual equation. It is easier to write 9 5 than 9x9x9x9x9, and with a long equation it is easier. One example is that it is simpler to do 95x810 than 9x9x9x9x9x8x8x8x8x8x8x8x8x8x8. Because a cube is three-dimensional, you write that the answer to a problem may be 10 cm3(cubed) rather than just 10 cm because it is a three dimensional shape, and not just flat.

What happens to 2 when you have 2^1 is the answer is just 2. But when you make it 2^2, you are multiplying the result of "2" by 2. Then, if you make it 2^3, you are multiplying the result of 2x2 by 2, which would be 2x2x2. The same thing would happen when you do 2^4 power. For 2^1, the result would obviously be 2, because 2=2. For 2^2, the result would be 4, and for 2^3, the answer would be 8 because 2x2x2 is 8. For 2^4, the answer would be 16 because that is what 2x2x2x2 is.

Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base? The base stays the same, but the value increases. The base is being multiplied more times by itself. Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base? The base stays the same, but the value decreases. The base is being multiplied less times by itself. Double check your table. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time? The denominator of the value of 2^-4 is the same as the value of 2^4, so yes, the pattern does work.
Introduction to Exponents Page 1

same as the value of 2^4, so yes, the pattern does work.


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What do you get when you add x by x? You get 2x. What do you get when you subtract x by x? You get 0. What do you get when you multiply x by x? You get x^2. What do you get when you divide x by x? You get 1. What do you get when you multiply x by x by x? You get x^3. What about x by x by x by x by x? You get x^4. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? You get x^3. What about x^2 by x^3? X^5. What about x^4 by x^6? X^10. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases. When you multiply the same base, you just add the exponents to multiply. What do you get when you divide x by x? You get one. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? You get x^3. What about x^4 by x^2? You get x^6. What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3? You get x^3 power. What about x^6 by x? You get x. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases. When you divide the same bases, the smaller exponent with the base is the answer. What do you get when you square x^3? You get x^5. What do you get when you square x^4? You get x^6. What do you get when you cube x^2? You get x^5. What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power? x^7 What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power? x^7 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent. You add both exponents together to get the power that you multiply the number to.

Introduction to Exponents Page 2

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