97777

Mathematics
Quarter 2 –
Module 3
Zero and Negative Integral
Exponents
Mathematics – Grade 9
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 3: Zero and Negative Integral Exponents

First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, Section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in
any work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of
the government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be
necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office
may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand

names, trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their
respective copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and
seek permission to use these materials from their respective copyright
owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership
over them.

Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Tita M. Calacat MAEd/MAT-Math

Jaclea R. Crodua MAEd-Math
Editors: Melita L. Maglajos PhD
Arlan S. Coscos PhD
Management Team: Bianito A. Dagatan EdD, CESO V
Schools Division Superintendent

Casiana P. Caberte PhD

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

Felix C. Galacio Jr. PhD

EPS, Mathematics

Josephine D. Eronico PhD

EPS, LRMDS

Printed in the Philippines by Schools Division of Bohol

Department of Education – Region VII, Central Visayas

Office Address: 0050 Lino Chatto Drive Barangay Cogon, Tagbilaran City,
Bohol
Telefax: (038) 501 – 7550
Tel Nos. (038) 412 – 4938; (038) 411-2544; (038) 501 – 7550
1
Learning Competencies: Applies the laws involving positive integral exponents to zero and
negative integral exponents. (M9AL-11d-1)

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

 Identify the base and exponent from the given expressions.
 Recall the laws of positive integral exponents.
 Apply the laws of integral exponents to zero and negative exponents.
 Simplify expressions with zero and negative exponents.

Lesson 1 Introduction: Positive Integral Exponents

What is it

 If n is a positive integer, then xn = x·x·x….x (n factors)

 The number x is called the base (a number to which the exponent refers) while the positive
integer n is called the exponent (a number which tells how many times another number is used as
a factor and it is written on the upper right portion of a number).

 The expression xn is read “x to the nth power” (a number which can be expressed by means of a
base and an exponent.

Examples: Identify the base and exponent of the following expressions:

1. →x is the base.
3
3. (a2)3 → a is the base.
→ 3 is the exponent.
x
→ 6 is the exponent.

2. ( ) → is the base.
x 4 x 4. 32 → 3 is the base.
y y
→4 is the exponent.
→ 2 is the exponent.

Laws of exponents
1. Base Law. An exponent outside the parentheses applies to all parts of a product or quotient

A.) (xy) = xnyn (x1 y1) n = x (1)(n)y (1)(n) Multiply n to the

inside the parentheses.
n

exponent of x and y
= xnyn
Examples: 1.) (xy)4 = x y
(1)(4) (1)(4)
= x4y4
2.) (2y)4 = 2 (1)(4)
y (1)(4)
= 24 y4 = (2•2 •2 •2 ¿y 4 = 16y4

B.) ( )=
n n
x x
n
y y

Examples: 1.) ( )= 2 = = 3. ( ) =
2 3
x =x
2 2 2• 3 6
2 2 2• 2 4 1 x
¿
4 4 4 • 4 16 4 y y
1∙ 3
y
3

2.) ( ) = = =
2 2
5 5 5 •5 25
6 6
2
6 •6 36
2. Multiplication Law. To multiply expressions with like bases, keep the base (copy the common
base) and add the exponents.
xmxn = x m+n
Examples: 1.) x2x3 = x2+3 = x5

2
 5 −3
2.) y y = y5+(-3) = y2 (Recall on how to add integers with unlike signs.)
3. Division Law. To divide expressions with like bases, keep the base (copy the common base) and
subtract the exponents.

n = x
m
x m−n
x

Examples: 1.) 3= x = x2 (Recall on how to subtract integers.)

5
x 5−3
x

2.) −6 = a = a 10+6 = a 16
10
a 10−(−6)
a

(xm)n = xm·n
4. Power property. To apply an exponent to a power expression, multiply the exponents.

Examples: 1.) (2y5)4 = 2 (1)(4)

y (5)(4)
= 24 y20 = (2•2 •2 •2 ¿y 20
= 16y2
2.) (x3)2 = x6

What’s More

Simplify the following expressions by applying the laws of positive integral exponents.
1. (2x)3

2. p4 p5

3.
5
a
a

4. (x3)5

Lesson 2 Negative Integral Exponents

What is it
Definition: Negative exponent

A nonzero real number raised to a negative power is the multiplicative inverse (reciprocal)
of the number raised to the positive opposite of the power. That is, if x ≠ 0 and m is a positive integer,
then

1
−m
x =¿ m
∨¿
x

( )
m
1 1 x m
−m
= =( 1 ) =x
x 1 1
m
x

=
Illustrative Examples:

1.) = =
−2
1 1 1
3 2
3 3• 3 9
3
 2.) (3x) -3
= = = =
1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3 3
(3 x) (3 x ) (3 •3 •3 x ) 27 x

3.) ( )-2 = = = 1. =
1 1
4
1 4
1 1
2 ( )² 1
2 4

= = 1 =
1
4.) 1. = 125
1
1 125
−3
1
5 3 1
5 125
1 1

5.) = = = . = =
−2 2
4 4 16 1 2 2 1
2
−1
1 1 16 1 16 8
2 2

6.) (−5 y )−2 = 2 =

1 1 1 1
2 2
= 2
= 2
(−5 y ) (−5) y (−5 ) (−5 ) y 25 y
1

7.) = = 2 . = 2 . = 2 =5y
−2 2 3 3
(5) 5 1 (5 y )3 1 3 3
5 y 5 y 3
(5 y )−3 1 5 1 5 1 5
(5 y)3

What’s More

Simplify the following expressions by applying the laws of exponents to negative integral
exponents.

1.) y 3.) ( )
-5
1 -3

2.) (5a)-2
3

4.)
1
−2
6

Lesson 3 Zero Exponents

What is it
Definition: Zero Exponent

Any nonzero real number raised to the zero power is equal to one. That is if x ≠ 0, then x0 = 1.

 If an exponent is to be extended to include any integer, the operations with exponents must follow
directly the laws already established for positive integral exponents.

2= = 1. Extending the law n = a

m-n
2 m
3 9 a
 Consider the expression , where a ≠ 0 to the
3 9 a
= 32-2 = 30. Thus = 1. This suggests that we can define 30
2 2
3 3
case where m = n, then 2 2
3 3
to be 1. In general, for a ≠ 0, a0 is defined by a0=1.

Illustrative examples:

4
 = h2-2 = h0 = 1
2
h
1. 2
h

2. = 48-8 = 40 =1
8
4
8
4

3. ¿ ¿= 52+(−2) = 50 = 1

Alternative solution: = 52( 2 ) = = 52-2 = 50 = 1

2
1 5
2
5 5

4. −3 = 7−3−(−3) = 7−3+3 = 7 0 = 1
−3
7
7

5. (−6)0 = 1

6. (4m3p5y-6 )0 = 4(1)(0)m(3)(0)p(5)(0) y(-6)(0) = 40m0p0y0 = (1)(1)(1)(1) = 1

Zero and Negative Exponents

At this point, you will study more illustrative examples on how to simplify expressions involving
zero and negative integral exponents.

An expression involving exponents is simplified when it does not contain a zero or negative
exponent.
Examples:

(-115xy-4)0 = (-115xy- 4)0 = 1

Simplify the following.
1.)

= 5( = 5(1) = 5
0 0
−4 x −4 x
2.) 5( 3
) 3
)
108 x 108 x

(-3)-4 = =
1 1
3.) 4
(−3) 81

Note: In this example, the base is negative since the negative sign is enclosed in the parenthesis.

-(3)-4 = =
−1 −1
4.) 4
3 81
Note: In this example, the base is positive since the negative sign is not enclosed in parentheses, so we do
not carry the negative down to the denominator with the base.

5.) 3x-2 = 3
( x1 )
2 =
3
x
2

Note: In this problem, only the x is raised to the negative exponent, so we do not carry the coefficient 3
down to the denominator with the base.

5
 2 2
1 1 4 4 16
( 34 ) ( )
−2
¿ 2
= 2 =1 ∙ 2 = 2 =
6.) i. 3 3 3 3 9
2
4 4

Alternative solution:

() ()
−2 2 2
4 3 4 16
ii . = 2= =
3 4 3 9

( ) ( ) ( )( )
1 1
iii. = −2 =
() ( ) = = =
−2 −2 2
3 3 3 9 1 16 16
4 4 1 1 9 1 9
4
2
16

Note: In solution ii, we take the reciprocal of the base and raised it to the positive opposite of the power.

( ) ( )
2 2 2
0 2 1 5 5 25
7.) (5 m n )
−3 ¿ 5∙ 3
∙1 = 3 = 3 = 3
m m m m

5
1 −2 5 −3 1 1 5 1 y
8.) x y z ¿ ∙ 2 ∙ y ∙ 3= 2 3
2 2 x z 2x z

= = = −3 a5
8 −3 8−(−4) −3−2 8 +4 −5 12
−9 a b −3 a b −3 a b
9.) −4 2
6a b 2 2 2b

What’s More

Simplify the following expressions by applying the laws of integral exponents to zero exponents.

3
x
1.) 3
x

2.) (77) (7-7)

500
2
3.) 500
2

4.) (92) (9-2)

6
 Assessment
Multiple Choice.

Directions: Read each item carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. In the expression −(−6) 5 what is the base?

a. 6 b. −6 c. −6 × 5 d. 5
2 4
2. Which of the following is the product of 5 • 5 as a single power.
a. 10 6 b. 5 6 c. 25 6 d. 5 8
5 3
3. How would you express ( ) as a quotient of powers?
3
3 3
5 5
a. 5 3 − 3 3 b. 2 3 c. 1 d. 3
3 3

[
4. Which of the following is equal to (−3 x 3 y ) ]
0 −1
?

1 −1
a. 1 b. –1 c. d.
9 9
2 32
5. Which of the following is NOT equivalent to ( y) ?
5
7
 2 4 4 2
a. ( )2 • y 6 b. ( ) y5 c. ( ) • y6 d. ( )2 • ( y 3 ¿2
5 25 25 5
−2
6. Which expression is equivalent to (−5 ∙ 30 ∙ 2 ) ?
1 −1
a. 100 b. -100 c. d.
100 100

7. The simplified form of ( 0 ) is

2 3
2

8
1 1
a. -64 b. c. 64 d.
64 −64

8. Which of the following when simplified will result to a negative number?

1
a. 7−6 b. (−7 )−6 c. −6 d. −7−6
7

9. Which of the following is TRUE?

100 −5 23 1/ 3
p z −2 m n 2 /3
a. 100
=1 b. −7
=z c. 23
=0 d. 1/ 3
=n
p z m n
−3
s
10. What is the result when we simplify −5
?
s
a. s8 b. s−8 c. s−2 d. s
2

8
 Answer Sheet

Name: __________________________________________________________
Grade & Section: ________________ Score:
_______

Quarter 2 – Module 3

Lesson 1
What’s More
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lesson 2
What’s More
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lesson 3 Assessment
What’s More 1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.