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UNIT 3 VOCABULARY: POWERS AND ROOTS

1.1. Powers with natural base
An exponent is a short way of writing the same number multiplied by itself
many times. Exponents can also be called indices (singular index).
In general, for any real number a and natural number n, we can write a

an .

multiplied by itself n times as

REMEMBER: READING POWERS!

A power can be read in many ways in English. For example,
The fifth power of six.
Six powered to five.

65 can be read as:

The most common one: six to the power of five.

Remeber that there are two especial cases: squares and cubes (powers of two and three). For
example:
32 is read three squared.
53 is read five cubed.
Exercise. Write with words these expressions and work out the exact value:
a)
25
b)
106
c)
73
d) 4 2
e) 34

f)

1.2. Laws of exponents

There are several laws we can use to make working with exponential numbers easier.
Some of these laws were explained last year:
LAW

EXAMPLE

x 0=1

7 0 =1

a =a

51=5

a man =a m+n

x 2x 3=x 2+3=x 5

am
a

26

=a mn
n

or

a m a n=amn

(ab) =a b

38
3

=262=24
=387=3

(23)4 =2434

83

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n

()
a

Exercises.
1. Simplify as far as possible:
a) a a a
c) 10 k j k j
b) x x y y y d) 5 y 4 y
2. Simplify:
4y 25y
a)
b)
7m 23n

c)
d)

()
2

6a5a2a
2a33a 2

23
5

8
125

e) a b c 5
f) a b b a 3

g) 3 x x 4 x
h) 2 y x 4

e)
f)

g)
h)

3a5a4
3p2p 24p 3

3. Simplify (don't forget to cancel coefficients):

10x 4
15a 5
4b 3
a)
b)
c)
3
2
4
5x
3a
12b

d)

5k 2
20k

4a23b 5
a b a 2b 2

e)

18x5 y 4
4

27x y

1.3. Powers with negative base or negative exponents

The sign of a power is positive, unless the base is negative and the exponent is an odd number.
Base

Exponent

Sign of the result

Example

Odd or even

23=8
24=16

Even

(2)4 =(2)(2)(2)(2)=16

Odd

(2)3=(2)(2)(2)=8

BE CAREFUL WITH BRACKETS!!!!

Brackets are very important in Maths, and you have to be very careful with them. Have a
look at the following examples:
With ( )

(2)2=(2)(2)=4

Without ( )

22=22=4

With ( )

( ab )2=ab ab =a 2 b 2

Without ( )

ab 2= abb =ab 2

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Exercise. Work out these powers:

2

a)

b)

c)

d)

()
1

e)

f)

(3)

(3)

(2)

g)

(1+5)

h)

2 +3
2

i)

j)

()
()()
( )( )
1

k)

In general, a negative exponent can be calculated following this rule:

For example:

42=

1
4

1
16

103=

1
10

1
1000

(2)3=

1
3

(2)

1
8

1
5

=5 2=25

Exercises.
1. Work out:
a)

b)

34

c)

(4)

d)

104

e)

f)

2. Write using negative exponents:

1
1
a)
b)
c)
2
2
10
x

g)

(3)3

h)

1
10

a 10

d)

e)

2.1. Square root of a number

A square root of a number is a value that can be multiplied by itself to
give the original number. A square root is the opposite of a square:

For example, a square root of 9 is 3, because when 3 is multiplied by

itself you get 9.

This is the special symbol that means "square root". It is

also called "radical" symbol.

It is very easy to read a square root:

49=7

is read "the square root of 49 is 7"

In general:

a=b

because

b =a

()
( )
2

( )

f)

2
5

2
5

52

i)

f)

1
5

32
4

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In some cases, there can be more than one root (or less than one!):

Number of roots

Example

a >0

Two opposite roots

81=9
2

9 =81

a =0

One root

a <0

No real roots

Exercises.
1. Given y, find the value of y:
a) y = 81
b) y =16
2. Fill
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

c) y = 100

because
and (9)2=81

0=0
4

d) y = 4

e)

has no real roots

y = 36

in the gaps with the proper word:

The ______ root of 36 is 6 or -6 because ______ and ______ are equal to 36.
The square root of 64 is ___ or ___ because 24 and _____ are equal to 64.
The square ____ of ____ is ____ or ____ because 122=144 and ______ .
The square root of 10000 is _____ or ____ because ______ and ______ .
The square root of -121 can't be calculated because the ______ is a ______ number.

3. Write the different parts of the expression

Radicand _____

169=13

Radical _____

Root _____

2.2. Why are square roots useful?

If you know the area of a square, you can use the square root to find the length of the side of
the square. Look:

2.3. Calculating squares roots

The perfect squares are the squares of the whole numbers:

Perfect
Squares

10

11

12

13

...

16

25

36

49

64

81

100

121

144

169

...

It is easy to work out the square root of a perfect square, but it is really hard to work out other

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square roots.
25=5

169=13

For example, what is

10

100=10

900=30

Well, 3 3 = 9 and 4 4 = 16, so we can guess the answer is between 3 and 4.

3< 10<4
Let's try 3.5: 3.5 3.5 = 12.25

Let's try 3.2: 3.2 3.2 = 10.24

Let's try 3.1: 3.1 3.1 = 9.61

Getting closer to 10, but it will take a long time to get a good answer!
At this point, I get out my calculator and it says:
10 = 3.1622776601683793319988935444327 ...
But the digits just go on and on, without any pattern.
So even the calculator's answer is only an approximation !

Remember: if a square root is not exact, it is then an irrational number!

Exercise. Find pairs of consecutive numbers that bound:
a) __ <

50

< __

b) __ <

150

< __

c) __ <

115

< __

d) __ <

< __

2.4. Properties
Exercise. Write an example for every property of square roots. After that your teacher will explain
how it works.
Name

Property

Example

Product of square roots

a b= ab
a = a
b b

Division of square roots

Exercise. Simplify:
a)

16 x

b)

25 a

c)

300
3

d)

100 m

e)

64 a

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3.4. Order of operations

Do all operations in brackets and square brackets first.

Work out the exponents and square roots.
Then do multiplications and divisions in the order they appear (from left to right).
Finally, do additions and subtractions in the order they appear.

Easy way to remember them!

Brackets

Exponents

Divisions

Multiplications
BEDMAS

Additions

Subtractions

For example:

[( 2)5 ( 3)3]2 = [ 32 ( 27)] = (32 + 27)2 = (5)2 = 25

2
(567 ) 25=(5649)5=75=35

4.1. Cube Root

A cube root of a number a special value that when cubed gives
the original number. A cube root is the opposite of a cube:

For example, a cube root of 27 is 3, because when 3 is 27.

This is the special symbol that means "cube root".

It is very easy to read a cube root:

3

125=5

is read "the cube root of 125 is 2"

In general:
3

a=b

because

b =a

EVERY NUMBER HAS A SINGLE CUBE ROOT!

Negative numbers also have a cube root. Look at the example:
3

64=4

because

4 =64

BUT

64=4

because

(4) =64

Exercise. Work out:

a)

125

b)

1000

c)

d)

e)

8000

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4.2. Why are cube roots useful?

If you know the volume of a cube, you can use the cube root to find the length of the edge of the
cube. Look:

4.3. Calculating cube roots

The perfect cubes are the cubes of the whole numbers:

Perfect
Cubes

27

64

125

216

343

512

729

10

11

12

13

1000 1331 1728 2197

...
...

It is easy to work out the cube root of a perfect cube, but it is really hard to work out other
cube roots.
3

169=13

216=6
For example, what is

30

100=10

8=2

Well, 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 and 4 x 4 x 4 = 64, so we can guess the answer is between 3 and 4.

3

3< 30<4

Let's try 3.5: 3.5 3.5 3.5 = 42.875

Let's try 3.2: 3.2 3.2 3.2 = 32.768

Let's try 3.1: 3.1 3.1 3.1 = 29.791

We are getting closer, but very slowly.

At this point, I get out my calculator and it says:
3.1072325059538588668776624275224 ...
But the digits just go on and on, without any pattern.
So even the calculator's answer is only an approximation !

If a square root is not exact, it is then an irrational number!

Exercise. Find pairs of consecutive numbers that bound:
a) __ <

80

< __

b) __ <

150

< __

c) __ <

< __

d) __ <

300

< __

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4.4. Properties
Exercise. Write an example for every property of cube roots. After that your teacher will explain
how it works.
Name

Property

Product of cube roots

Example

a b= ab
a = a
b b
3

Division of cube roots

Exercise. Simplify:
3

a)

27 a

b)

64 a

c)

270
10
3

d)

1000 x

e)