8.

4 Indices 2

16. The number of hours N required to dig a certain hole is inversely proportional to
the number of workers available, x. When 6 workers are digging, the hole takes
1
4 hours. Find the time taken when 8 workers are available. If it takes hour to
2
dig the hole, how many workers are there?
17. The force of attraction F between two magnets is inversely proportional to the
square of the distance d between them. When the magnets are 2 cm apart, the
force of attraction is 18 newtons. How far apart are they if the attractive force is
2 newtons?

8.4 Indices 2
In Chapter 1 you learned how to use indices when dealing with numbers. The same
rules for indices apply when working with algebra. Here are rules you need to remember.
1. an × am = an + m 2. an ÷ am = an − m 3. (an)m = anm
Also remember that:
−n 1
• a = n
1
a
• a n means ‘the nth root of a’
m
• a n means ‘the nth root of a raised to the power m’
an (n −n )
• a0 = 1 whenever a ≠ 0, since 1 = n = a = a0
a

Example
Simplify:
a) x7 × x13 b) x3 ÷ x7
c) (x4)3 d) (3x2)3
e) (2x−1)2 ÷ x−5 f) 3y2 × 4y3

3−7 1
a) x7 × x13 = x7 + 13 = x20
3 7
b) x ÷ x = x = x −4 =
x4
c) (x4)3 = x12 d) (3x2)3 = 33 × (x2)3 = 27x6
( 2x )
2
e) −1
÷ x −5 = 4 x −2 ÷ x −5 f) 3y2 × 4y3 = 12y5

= 4x (
−2 − − 5 )

= 4x 3

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Algebra 3

Exercise 8.4A
Simplify:
1. x3 × x4 2. y6 × y7 3. z7 ÷ z3 4. m3 ÷ m2
1 1
5. e−3 × e−2 6. y−2 × y4 7. w4 ÷ w−2 8. y 2 × y 2

9. (x2)5 10. x−2 ÷ x−2 11. w−3 × w−2 12. w−7 × w2

(k )
1

( )
6
1
13. x3 ÷ x−4 15. e−4 × e4 16. y4
2
14. 2

17. (x−3)−2 18. t−3 ÷ t 19. (2x3)2 20. 2x2 × 3x2

21. 5y3 × 2y2 22. 5a3 × 3a 23. (2a)3 24. 3x3 ÷ x3
25. 8y3 ÷ 2y 26. (2x)2 × (3x)3 27. 4z4 × z−7 28. 6x−2 ÷ 3x2

÷ (x )
3
1 1 3 1
29. 5y ÷ 2y 3 −2 2 2
30. ( x ) 3
31. (2n)4 ÷ 8n0 32.4 x 2 ÷ 2x 2
3
2 12 2 − 12  3x 5  3 − 12
33. 3 x −4 × x 34. x ÷ 2x −3 35.   36. 5x −7 ÷ x
3 7  4  10
4 2
3 − 12  1   −1 
37. x ÷ 6 x −4 38.  3 x 2  39.  5x 2 
5    
 2   −2 

Example
Simplify:
1
a) ( 2a )
3
(
÷ 9a 2 ) 2 b) (3ac2)3 × 2a−2 c) (2x)2 ÷ 2x2

a) ( 2a )
3
(
÷ 9a 2 ) 2
= 8 a 3 ÷ 3a b) (3ac2)3 × 2a−2 = 27a3c6 × 2a−2 = 54ac6
8 2
= a
3
( 2x )
2
c) ÷ 2x 2 = 4 x 2 ÷ 2x 2
=2

Exercise 8.4B
Rewrite without brackets:
1. (5x2)2 2. (7y3)2 3. (10ab)2 4. (2xy2)2
1

(
5. 4 x 2 ) 2 6. (9y)−1 7. (x−2)−1 8. (2x−2)−1

268
 8.4 Indices 2

−1
1 
9. (5x y) 2 0
10.  x  11. (3x)2 × (2x)2 12. (5y)2 ÷ y
2 

( 2x ) ( )
4 3
1 1
13. 2
14. 3 y 3 15. (5x0)2 16. ((5x)0)2

17. (7y0)2 18. ((7y)0)2 19. (2x2y)3 20. (10xy3)2

Simplify: 3
1
21. (3x−1)2 ÷ 6x−3 22. ( 4 x ) 2 ÷ x 2 23. x2y2 × xy3 24. 4xy × 3x2y
1
1 2
26. ( 3 x )
2
25. 10x −1
y × xy
3
×  x 2  27. z3yx × x2yz 28. (2x)−2 × 4x3
9 

( 4x ) × ( 8 x )
3
1 3
29. (3y)−1 ÷ (9y2)−1 30. ( xy )0 × (9 x ) 2 31. (x2y)(2xy)(5y3) 32. 2 2

33. 5x−3 ÷ 2x−5 34. ((3x−1)−2)−1 35. (2a)−2 × 8a4 36. (abc2)3

Evaluate, with x = 16 and y = 8:

1 1 1 1 1
2
37. 2x 2 × y 3 38. x 4 × y −1 39. ( y )6 ÷ (9 x )2 40. (x2y3)0
1 1 3 1 5
− −
41. x + y−1 42. x 2
+ y −1 43. y 3 ÷ x 4 44. ( 1000 y ) 3 × x 2

(x )÷x ( )
1 2 − −2
1 1 3 3 x
45. 4
+ y −1 4 46. x − y
2 3
47. x y 4 48.  
y
It is sometimes useful to express one number as a power of another number.
To do this, use the rules of indices.

Example 1
1
Write 8 × in the form 2p
16

1
8× = 23 × 2−4 = 23 − 4 = 2−1
16

You can then use your knowledge of indices to solve simple

equations where the variable is in the power.

Example 2
Solve the equations:
a) 4 x −1 = 8 x b) 9 x + 2 = 34 x − 2

269
Algebra 3

a) 4 x −1 = 8 x

(2 ) ( )
x −1 x
2
= 23 (Because 4 and 8 are both powers of 2.)
22( x −1 ) = 23 x (Using the rules of indices.)
2( x − 1) = 3 x
2x − 2 = 3 x
x = −2
b) 9 x + 2 = 34 x − 2

(3 )
x +2
2
= 34 x − 2 (Because 9 and 3 are both powers of 3.)
32 ( x + 2 ) = 3 4 x − 2 (Using the rules of indices.)
2( x + 2) = 4 x − 2
2x + 4 = 4 x − 2
2x = 6
x =3

Exercise 8.4C
1. Write in the form 2p (e.g. 4 = 22).
a) 32 b) 128 c) 64 d) 1
2. Write in the form 3 . q

1 1 1 1
a) b) c) d) 9 ×
27 81 3 81
Make x the subject of each equation.
1
3. 2x = 8 4. 3x = 81 5. 5x =
5
1 1
6. 10 x = 7. 3− x = 8. 4x = 64
100 27
1
9. 6− x = 10. 100 000x = 10 11. 12x = 1
6 x
1
12. 10x = 0.0001 13. 2x + 3x = 13 14.   = 32
2
15. 52x = 25 16. 1 000 0003x = 10
17. These two are more difficult. Use a calculator to find solutions correct to three
significant figures.
a) xx = 100 b) xx = 10 000
Make x the subject of each equation.
18. 3x+1 = 9x 19. 4x+1 = 23x – 1 20. 73x = 494x
21. 25x+2 = 5x + 3 22. 22x = 4x

270
Algebra 3

22. Chailai has $700 in her bank account. She wants to keep at least $300. She plans
to withdraw $y per week for the next 12 weeks to pay for entertainment and food.
a) Write down an inequality in terms of y to determine the amount of money
Chailai can withdraw each week.
b) How much can Chailai withdraw per week?
23. A car rental firm charges $30 per day plus a flat fee of $240 to rent a car. Neema
has no more than $470 to pay for the car rental.
a) Write down an inequality in terms of the number of days, d, that Neema rents
the car for.
b) Solve the inequality to work out the maximum number of days for which Neema
can rent the car.

Revision exercise 8
1. Write the following as single fractions. 6. Given that y is directly proportional to
x x 1 2 x2 and that y = 36 when x = 3, find:
a) + b) +
4 5 2x 3 x a) the value of y when x = 2
x+2 x−4 7 2 b) the value of x when y = 64
c) + d) −
2 3 x −1 x + 3
7. Find x, given that:
2. a) Factorise x − 4
2

3x − 6 a) 3x = 81 b) 7x = 1
b) Simplify 2
x −4 8. Two integers differ by 6. The sum of
3. Given that s − 3t = rt, express: 5
their reciprocals is .
a) s in terms of r and t 36
Find these numbers.
b) r in terms of s and t
c) t in terms of s and r. 9. List the integer values of x which
satisfy.
4. a) Given that x − z = 5y, express z in
a) 2x − 1 < 20 < 3x − 5
terms of x and y.
b) 5 < 3x + 1 < 17
b) Given that mk + 3m =11, express m
in terms of k. 10. Given that t = k x + 5, express x in
c) For the formula T = C z , express z terms of t and k.
in terms of T and C. 3y + 2
11. Given that z = , express y in
k terms of z. y − 1
5. It is given that y = and that
1 ⩽ x ⩽ 10. x k
12. Given that y =
a) If the smallest possible value of y is k+w 1
5, find the value of the constant k. a) Find the value of y when k =
1 2
b) Find the largest possible value of y. and w =
3
b) Express w in terms of y and k.

274
 Revision exercise 8

13. Calculate the value of: 3 1

1
1
d) + 2
− 1 3 a−2 a −4
a) 9 2
+   + ( −3 )0
8 3 2
1 e) −
b) (1000 )
−
3
− (0.1)2 x ( x + 1) x ( x − 2 )
17. p is directly proportional to the square
14. It is given that 10x = 3 and 10y = 7.
of t, and inversely proportional to s.
Find the value of 10x + y
Given that p = 5 when t = 1 and s = 2,
15. Make x the subject of the following find a formula for s in terms of t.
formulae.
18. In the diagram, the solution set
2x − 5
a) x + a = −1 ⩽ x < 2 is shown on a number line.
a
x
b) cz + ax + b = 0 −1 0 1 2 3 4
x +1 Illustrate, on similar diagrams, the
c) a =
x −1 solution set of the following pairs of
16. Write the following as single fractions. simultaneous inequalities.
5x 20 a) x > 2; x ⩽ 7
a) ×
10 15x
b) 4 + x ⩾ 2; x + 4 < 10
x + 6 2x + 12
b) ÷ c) 2x + 1 ⩾ 3; x − 3 ⩽ 3
4 8x
3 1
c) +
x 2x

275
 Examination-style exercise 8

NON-CALCULATOR
x −2 5 x 2 − ax + b
1. + = , where a, b and c are integers.
5 x −2 c( x − 2)
Work out a, b and c. [3]
2
2. Simplify 64 x 3 ( ) 3 [2]
3. Work out the value of n in each of the following statements.
a) 16n = 1 [1]
b) 16 = 2
n
[1]
c) 16 = 8
n
[1]
2
−
4. (125) 3
= 25 p. Determine p. [2]
1 1 b
5. Write + − as a single fraction in its simplest form. [3]
a b ab 3x − 4 x+3
6. Solve the inequality < [3]
7 4
b
7. Rearrange the formula to make b the subject: a = −2 [3]
4
8. a) Factorise cp3 + dp3 [1]
b) Make p the subject of the formula cp + dp − a = b
3 3 2 3
[2]
9. The quantity x is inversely proportional to the square root of (y + 1).
When x = 20, y = 8.
Work out y when x = 12. [3]
10. A torch is used to light up a wall.
The brightness of the light on the wall is b. The distance of the light from the
wall is d. b is inversely proportional to the square of d.
What happens to b when d is doubled? [3]
x x +1 1
11. Solve the equation − =
x + 1 3x − 1 4
12. Aisha takes 2 hours 35 minutes to complete a walk.
31
a) Show that the time of 2 hours 35 minutes can be written as hours. [1]
12
b) Aisha walks (x + 3) kilometres at (x + 2) km/h and then a further
2x kilometres at 3 km/h.
2x 2 + 7 x + 9
Show that the total time taken is hours. [2]
3x + 6
c) If the total time to complete the walk is 2 hours 35 minutes, work out x. [2]
d) Calculate Aisha’s average speed, in kilometres per hour, for the whole walk,
giving your answer correct to 3 s.f. [3]
276