Rational Exponents

I. Laws of Exponents

(1) x m x n = x m + n (6) x 0 = 1, x 0
xm 1 1
(2) = xmn (7) x n = , = xn
n n n
x x x
n
( )
n
m n x y
(3) x =x mn
(8) =
y x
1
(4) ( xy ) n = x n y n (9) x n = n x

( )
n
x xn m n m
(5) = (10) x n = x m = n x
y yn

II. Laws of Radicals (Using Laws of Exponents)

1 1 1
(1) n x n y = x n y n = ( xy ) n = n xy
1 1
n x x n
x n x
(2) = = = n
1
y n
n y y y
1
1 m 1
(3) mn
x = x n = x mn = mn x

1 1 m+n
1 1 +
(4) n x m x = x n x m = x n m = x mn = mn x m + n

III. Examples
1 2 3 3 1
1 2 + 7 x 5 7
(1) x 2 x 3 = x2 3 =x 6 (2) = x 5 4 = x 20
1
x 4
1 1 1 1
x 6 2 1 1 x 6 1 1 1
(3) = x6 2 = x 6 = x 3 = or = = =
1 1 1 1 1 2 1
x 2 x 3 x 2 x 6 x 3
x2 6
2 (2 )(6) = x 4
(4) x 3 = x 3
6
2
(5) x 3
3
5
=x
2
5 =
1
2
x 5

1
 1 1
(6) 25 2 = 25 = 5 (7) 8 3 = 3 8 = 2

3 3
( ) 3 4
(8) 16 4 = 4 16 = 2 3 = 8 or 16 4 = 16 3 = 4 4096 = 8

2 1 1 1 1
(9) 8 3 = = = =
8 3
2
(3 8 )2 22 4

3 5 3 5
(10) Write x using a rational exponent. x5 = x 3

1 1 1 1
(11) Write using a rational exponent. = =x 4
4 x 4 x 1
x 4

2 3
2 3 13 2 1 2
x y x y 4 2 3 2 3 13
x 3 y 3 x 6 y 2 y 3y 2 y 6
(12) = = = =
2 2 4 2 8 6
13 3 x 3y 6 6
x 3x x 3y 6 x y
x y

1
23
x8 y 6

3 4 3( x 1) 4 3x + 3 + 4
(13) 3( x 1) 1 + 4( x 1) 2 = + = + = =
x 1 ( x 1) 2 ( x 1) 2 ( x 1) 2 ( x 1) 2

3x + 7
( x 1) 2

1 1 1
2 = 2( x + 1) 2( x + 1) 2 ( x + 1) 2
1 1 2 5
(14) 2( x + 1) 2 + 5( x + 1) + = +
1 1 1
( x + 1) 2 ( x + 1) 2

5 2( x + 1) 5 2x + 2 + 5 2x + 7
= + = =
1 1 1 1 1
( x + 1) 2 ( x + 1) 2 ( x + 1) 2 ( x + 1) 2 ( x + 1) 2

2
 Practice Sheet Rational Exponents
I. Simplify and evaluate where appropriate; do not have negative exponents in your
answers:

1 1 1
(1) 16 2 = (2) 27 3 = (3) 81 4 =

1 1 3
(4) 25 2 = (5) 8 3 = (6) 16 4 =

2 1 1 3
(7) 27 3 = (8) x x 3 = (9) x 2 x 4 =

1 1
x2 x 4 3 2
(10) = (11) = (12) x 4 =
2 3
x 3 x 2

3 6
1 1 x 4 2
(13) x 2 x 3 = (14) = (15) x 3 =
1
x 2

2
23
x y
(16) = (17) 2 x 2 + 3x 1 =
1 2 1 2 3 2
x y x y

1 2 1 3
(18) 3x 3 2 x 3 = (19) 3( x + 1) 2 + x( x + 1) 2 =

II. Write, using rational exponents. You may have negative exponents in your answer:

3 x
(1) = (2) x x = (3) =
4 3 x
x

4 3 1 1
(4) x = (5) = (6) =
4x 3
x2

3
 Solution Key for Rational Exponents
I. (1) 4 (2) 3 (3) 3

1 1
(4) (5) (6) 8
5 2

1 4 5
(7) (8) x 3 (9) x 4
9

4 1 3
(10) x 3 (11) (12) x 8
5
x 4

1 1 1
(13) (14) (15)
1 5
x 6 x 4 x4

1 2 + 3x
(16) (17)
7
x 6y 2
5
x2

3x 2 4x + 3
(18) (18)
2 3
x 3 ( x + 1) 2

3 2
II. (1) 3x 4 (2) x 2 (3) x 3

3 1 2
(4) x 4 (5) x 4 (6) x 3