Properties of Exponents

NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 4 M3
ALGEBRA II
Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals
Student Outcomes
 Students rewrite expressions involving radicals and rational exponents using the properties of exponents.
Lesson Notes
In Lesson 1, students reviewed the properties of exponents for integer exponents before establishing the meaning of the
th
𝑛 root of a positive real number and how it can be expressed as a rational exponent in Lesson 3. In Lesson 4, students
extend properties of exponents that applied to expressions with integer exponents to expressions with rational
1 1
exponents. In each case, the notation 𝑏 𝑛 specifically indicates the principal root (e.g., 22 is √2, as opposed to −√2).
This lesson extends students’ thinking using the properties of radicals and the
Scaffolding:
definitions from Lesson 3 so that they can see why it makes sense that the
properties of exponents hold for any rational exponents (N-RN.A.1). Examples  Throughout the lesson, remind
and exercises work to establish fluency with the properties of exponents when students of past properties of
the exponents are rational numbers and emphasize rewriting expressions and integer exponents and radicals
evaluating expressions using the properties of exponents and radicals (N-RN.A.2). either through an anchor chart
posted on the wall or by recording
relevant properties as they come
Classwork up. Included is a short list of
previous properties used in this
Opening (2 minutes) module.
Students revisit the properties of square roots and cube roots studied in Module  For all real numbers 𝑎, 𝑏 > 0, and
th
1 to remind them that those were extended to any 𝑛 root in Lesson 3. So, they all integers 𝑚, 𝑛 for which the
are now ready to verify that the properties of exponents hold for rational expressions are defined:
exponents. 𝑏 𝑚 ⋅ 𝑏 𝑛 = 𝑏 𝑚+𝑛
Draw students’ attention to a chart posted prominently on the wall or to their
(𝑏 𝑚 )𝑛 = 𝑏 𝑚𝑛
notebooks where the properties of exponents and radicals are displayed,
including those developed in Lesson 3.
(𝑎𝑏)𝑚 = 𝑎𝑚 ⋅ 𝑏 𝑚
𝑚
Remind students of the description of exponential expressions of the form 𝑏𝑛,
1
which they make use of throughout the lesson: 𝑏 −𝑚 =
𝑏𝑚
Let 𝑏 be any positive real number, and 𝑚, 𝑛 be any integers with 𝑛 > 0; then Additionally, if 𝑛 > 0,
𝑚 𝑚
𝑛 𝑛 1
𝑏 𝑛 = √𝑏 𝑚 = ( √𝑏) . 𝑛
√𝑏 = 𝑏 𝑛
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
√𝑎 ⋅ √𝑏 = √𝑎𝑏
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
√𝑏 𝑛 = ( √𝑏) = 𝑏
𝑛 𝑛 𝑚 𝑚
√𝑏 𝑚 = ( √𝑏) = 𝑏 𝑛 .

62
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ALGEBRA II
Opening Exercise (5 minutes)

These exercises briefly review content from Module 1 and the last lesson.
Opening Exercise
Write each exponential expression as a radical expression, and then use the definition and properties of radicals to write
the resulting expression as an integer.
𝟏 𝟏
a. 𝟕𝟐 ⋅ 𝟕𝟐
√𝟕 ⋅ √𝟕 = √𝟒𝟗 = 𝟕
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
b. 𝟑𝟑 ⋅ 𝟑𝟑 ⋅ 𝟑𝟑
𝟑 𝟑 𝟑 𝟑 𝟑 𝟑
√𝟑 ∙ √𝟑 ∙ √𝟑 = √𝟗 ∙ √𝟑 = √𝟐𝟕 = 𝟑
𝟏 𝟏
c. 𝟏𝟐𝟐 ⋅ 𝟑𝟐
√𝟏𝟐 ⋅ √𝟑 = √𝟏𝟐 ∙ 𝟑 = √𝟑𝟔 = 𝟔
𝟏
𝟏 𝟐
d. (𝟔𝟒𝟑 )
√ 𝟑√𝟔𝟒 = √𝟒 = 𝟐
To transition from the Opening Exercise to Example 1, ask students to write parts (a) and (b) of the Opening Exercise in
exponent form. Then, ask them to discuss with a partner whether or not it would be true in general that
𝑚 𝑝 𝑚 𝑝
+
𝑏 𝑛 ∙ 𝑏𝑞 = 𝑏 𝑛 𝑞 for positive real numbers 𝑏 where 𝑚, 𝑛, 𝑝, and 𝑞 are integers with 𝑛 ≠ 0 and 𝑞 ≠ 0.
3 3 3
 How could you write √7 ∙ √7 = 7 with rational exponents? How about √3 ∙ √3 ∙ √3 = 3?
1 1 1 1 1
 72 ∙ 72 = 71 and 33 ∙ 33 ∙ 33 = 31
 Based on these examples, does the exponent property 𝑏 𝑚 ∙ 𝑏 𝑛 = 𝑏 𝑚+𝑛 appear to be valid when 𝑚 and 𝑛 are
MP.3 rational numbers? Explain how you know.
&
MP.8  Since the exponents on the left side of each statement add up to the exponents on the right side, it
1 1 2
appears to be true. However, the right side exponent was always 1. If we work with 83 ∙ 83 = 83 and
3 3 3 3
write it in radical form, then √8 ∙ √8 = √82 = √64. So, it may be true in general.
Note that examples alone do not prove that a mathematical statement is always true.
In the rest of this lesson, students make sense of these observations in general to extend the properties of exponents to
th
rational numbers by applying the definition of the 𝑛 root of 𝑏 and the properties of radicals introduced in Lesson 3.

63
ALGEBRA II
Examples 1–3 (10 minutes)

In the previous lesson, it was assumed that the exponent property 𝑏 𝑚 𝑏 𝑛 = 𝑏 𝑚+𝑛 for positive real numbers 𝑏 and
1
integers 𝑚 and 𝑛 would also hold for rational exponents when the exponents were of the form , where 𝑛 was a positive
𝑛
integer. This example helps students see that the property below makes sense for any rational exponent.
𝑚 𝑝 𝑚 𝑝
+
𝑏 𝑛 ⋅ 𝑏𝑞 = 𝑏 𝑛 𝑞, where 𝑚, 𝑛, 𝑝, and 𝑞 are integers with 𝑛 > 0 and 𝑞 > 0.
Consider modeling Example 1 below and having students work with a partner on Example 2. Make sure students include
a justification for each step in the problem. The following discussion questions can be used to guide students through
Example 3.
 How can we write these expressions using radicals?
1 𝑛
𝑚 𝑛
 In Lesson 3, we learned that 𝑏 𝑛 = √𝑏 and 𝑏 𝑛 = √𝑏 𝑚 for positive real numbers 𝑏 and positive integers
MP.7 𝑚 and 𝑛.
&
MP.8  Which properties help us to write the expression as a single radical?
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
 The property of radicals that states √𝑎 ∙ √𝑏 = √𝑎𝑏 for positive real numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏 and positive
integer 𝑛, and the property of exponents that states 𝑏 𝑚 ∙ 𝑏 𝑛 = 𝑏 𝑚+𝑛 for positive real numbers 𝑏 and
integers 𝑚 and 𝑛
 How do we rewrite this expression in exponent form?
𝑚 𝑛
 In Lesson 3, we related radicals and rational exponents by 𝑏 𝑛 = √𝑏 𝑚 .
 What makes Example 3 different from Examples 1 and 2?
 The exponents have different denominators, so when we write the expression in radical form, the roots
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
are not the same, and we cannot apply the property that √𝑎 ∙ √𝑏 = √𝑎𝑏 .
 Can you think of a way to rewrite the problem so it looks more like Examples 1 and 2?
 We can write the exponents as equivalent fractions with the same denominator.
Examples 1–3
𝒎
Write each expression in the form 𝒃 𝒏 for positive real numbers 𝒃 and integers 𝒎 and 𝒏 with
𝒏 > 𝟎 by applying the properties of radicals and the definition of 𝒏th root. Scaffolding:
𝟏 𝟏  Throughout the lesson,
1. 𝒃𝟒 ∙ 𝒃𝟒
create parallel problems to
By the definition of 𝒏th root, demonstrate that these
𝟏 𝟏 𝟒 𝟒 problems work with
𝒃𝟒 ∙ 𝒃𝟒 = √𝒃 ∙ √𝒃.
𝟒 numerical values as well.
= √𝒃 ∙ 𝒃 By the properties of radicals and properties of exponents
𝟒  For example, in part (a),
= √ 𝒃𝟐
𝟐 𝒎
substitute 4 for 𝑏.
= 𝒃𝟒 By the definition of 𝒃 𝒏
 In part (b), substitute a
𝟐 𝟏 perfect cube such as 8 or
The rational number is equal to . Thus,
𝟒 𝟐 27 for 𝑏.
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
𝒃𝟒 ⋅ 𝒃𝟒 = 𝒃𝟐 .

64
ALGEBRA II
𝟏 𝟒
2. 𝒃𝟑 ∙ 𝒃𝟑
𝟏 𝟒 𝟏 𝒎
𝟑 𝟑 ( )
𝒃𝟑 ∙ 𝒃𝟑 = √𝒃 ∙ √𝒃𝟒 By the definition of 𝒃𝒏 and 𝒃 𝒏
𝟑
= √𝒃 ∙ 𝒃 𝟒 By the properties of radicals and properties of exponents
𝟑
= √𝒃 𝟓
𝟓 𝒎
= 𝒃𝟑 By the definition of 𝒃 𝒏
Thus,
𝟏 𝟒 𝟓
𝒃𝟑 ∙ 𝒃𝟑 = 𝒃𝟑 .
𝟏 𝟑
3. 𝒃𝟓 ∙ 𝒃𝟒
Write the exponents as equivalent fractions with the same denominator.
𝟏 𝟑 𝟒 𝟏𝟓
𝒃𝟓 ∙ 𝒃𝟒 = 𝒃𝟐𝟎 ∙ 𝒃𝟐𝟎
Rewrite in radical form.
𝟐𝟎 𝟐𝟎
= √𝒃𝟒 ∙ √𝒃𝟏𝟓
Rewrite as a single radical expression.
𝟐𝟎
= √𝒃𝟒 ∙ 𝒃𝟏𝟓
𝟐𝟎
= √𝒃𝟏𝟗
Rewrite in exponent form using the definition.
𝟏𝟗
= 𝒃𝟐𝟎
Thus,
𝟏 𝟑 𝟏𝟗
𝒃𝟓 ∙ 𝒃𝟒 = 𝒃𝟐𝟎 .
1 1 1 4 1 3
 Now, add the exponents in each example. What is + ? + ? + ?
4 4 3 3 5 4
1 1 1 1 4 5 1 3 19
 + = , + = , and + =
4 4 2 3 3 3 5 4 20
 What do you notice about these sums and the value of the exponent when we rewrote each expression?
 The sum of the exponents was equal to the exponent of the answer.
Based on these examples, particularly the last one, it seems reasonable to extend the properties of exponents to hold
when the exponents are any rational number. Thus, the following property can be stated:
1 1
 For any integers 𝑚, 𝑛, 𝑝 and 𝑞, with 𝑛 > 0 and 𝑞 > 0, and any real numbers 𝑏 so that 𝑏 𝑛 and 𝑏 𝑞 are defined,
𝑚 𝑝 𝑚 𝑝
+
𝑏 𝑛 ∙ 𝑏𝑞 = 𝑏 𝑛 𝑞 .
Have students copy this property into their notes along with the ones listed below. Also, consider writing these
properties on a piece of chart paper and displaying them in the classroom. These properties are listed in the Lesson
Summary.

65
ALGEBRA II
In a similar fashion, the other properties of exponents can be extended to hold for any rational exponents as well.
1 1 1
 For any integers 𝑚, 𝑛, 𝑝, and 𝑞, with 𝑛 > 0 and 𝑞 > 0, and any real numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏 so that 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑏 𝑛 , and 𝑏 𝑞 are
defined,
𝑚 𝑛
𝑏 𝑛 = √𝑏 𝑚
1 𝑛
(𝑏 𝑛 ) = 𝑏
1
(𝑏 𝑛 )𝑛 = 𝑏
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
(𝑎𝑏) 𝑛 = 𝑎 𝑛 ⋅ 𝑏 𝑛
𝑝
𝑚 𝑞 𝑚𝑝
(𝑏 𝑛 ) = 𝑏 𝑛𝑞
𝑚 1
𝑏− 𝑛 = 𝑚.
𝑏𝑛
At this point, consider having the class look at the Opening Exercise again and asking them which property could be used
to simplify each problem.
For advanced learners, a derivation of the property explored in Example 1 is provided below.
𝑚 𝑝
Rewrite 𝑏 𝑛 and 𝑏 𝑞 as equivalent exponential expressions in which the exponents have the same denominator, and
𝑚
th
apply the definition of 𝑏 𝑛 as the 𝑛 root.
𝑚 𝑚 𝑝
By the definition of 𝑏 𝑛 and then using properties of algebra, students can rewrite the exponent to be + .
𝑛 𝑞
𝑚 𝑝 𝑚𝑞 𝑛𝑝
𝑏𝑛 ⋅ 𝑏𝑞 = 𝑏 𝑛𝑞 𝑏 𝑛𝑞
𝑛𝑞 𝑛𝑞
= √𝑏 𝑚𝑞 ⋅ √𝑏 𝑛𝑝
𝑛𝑞
= √𝑏 𝑚𝑞 ⋅ 𝑏 𝑛𝑝
𝑛𝑞
= √𝑏 𝑚𝑞+𝑛𝑝
𝑚𝑞+𝑛𝑝
=𝑏 𝑛𝑞
𝑚𝑞 𝑛𝑝
+
= 𝑏 𝑛𝑞 𝑛𝑞
𝑚 𝑝
+
= 𝑏𝑛 𝑞

66
ALGEBRA II
Exercises 1–4 (6 minutes) Scaffolding:

Have students work with a partner or in small groups to rewrite expressions with  When students get to
rational exponents using the properties presented above. As students work, these exercises, it may be
emphasize that it is not necessary to write these expressions using radicals since it has necessary to remind them
just been established that the properties of exponents hold for rational numbers. In that it is often easier to
𝑚 𝑛 𝑚
the last two exercises, students have to use their knowledge of radicals to rewrite the rewrite 𝑏 𝑛 as ( √𝑏 )
answers without exponents. when evaluating radical
expressions.
Exercises 1–4
 Provide a scientific
𝒎
Write each expression in the form 𝒃𝒏. If a numeric expression is a rational number, then write calculator for students
your answer without exponents. who struggle with
𝟐 𝟏 arithmetic, but encourage
1. 𝒃𝟑 ∙ 𝒃𝟐
them to use the radical
𝟐 𝟏 𝟕
𝒃𝟑 + 𝟐 = 𝒃𝟔 and exponent properties
to show the steps.
𝟐
𝟏 𝟑
2. (𝒃−𝟓 )
𝟏 𝟐 𝟐
𝒃− 𝟓 ∙ 𝟑 = 𝒃−𝟏𝟓
𝟏 𝟑
3. 𝟔𝟒𝟑 ∙ 𝟔𝟒𝟐
𝟏 𝟑 𝟏𝟏
𝟔𝟒𝟑 + 𝟐 = 𝟔𝟒 𝟔
𝟔 𝟏𝟏
= (√𝟔𝟒)
= 𝟐𝟏𝟏
= 𝟐𝟎𝟒𝟖
𝟑
𝟑 𝟐
𝟗
4. ( 𝟒𝟐 )
𝟑 𝟗
𝟗𝟑 𝟐 𝟗𝟐
( 𝟐) = 𝟑
𝟒 𝟒
𝟐 𝟗
(√𝟗)
=
𝟔𝟒
𝟑𝟗
=
𝟔𝟒
𝟏𝟗 𝟔𝟖𝟑
=
𝟔𝟒
Example 4 (5 minutes)
 We can rewrite radical expressions using properties of exponents. There are other methods for rewriting
radical expressions, but this example models using the properties of exponents. Often, textbooks and exams
give directions to simplify an expression, which is vague unless we specify what it means. We want students to
develop fluency in applying the properties, so the directions here say to rewrite in a specific fashion.

67
ALGEBRA II
Example 4
Rewrite the radical expression √𝟒𝟖𝒙𝟓 𝒚𝟒 𝒛𝟐 so that no perfect square factors remain inside the radical.
𝟏
√𝟒𝟖 ⋅ 𝒙𝟓 ⋅ 𝒚𝟒 ⋅ 𝒛𝟐 = (𝟒𝟐 ⋅ 𝟑 ⋅ 𝒙𝟓 ⋅ 𝒚𝟒 ⋅ 𝒛𝟐 )𝟐
𝟐 𝟏 𝟓 𝟒 𝟐
= 𝟒𝟐 ⋅ 𝟑𝟐 ⋅ 𝒙𝟐 ⋅ 𝒚𝟐 ⋅ 𝒛𝟐
𝟏 𝟏
= 𝟒 ⋅ 𝟑𝟐 ⋅ 𝒙𝟐+𝟐 ⋅ 𝒚𝟐 ⋅ 𝒛
𝟏
= 𝟒𝒙𝟐 𝒚𝟐 𝒛 ⋅ (𝟑𝒙)𝟐
= 𝟒𝒙𝟐 𝒚𝟐 𝒛√𝟑𝒙
 Although this process may seem drawn out, once it has been practiced, most of the steps can be internalized,
and expressions are quickly rewritten using this technique.
Exercise 5 (5 minutes)
For the values 𝑥 = 50, 𝑦 = 12, and 𝑧 = 3, the expressions in Exercises 5(a) and (b) are difficult to evaluate. Students
need to rewrite these expressions in a simpler form by minimizing fractions in the exponents before attempting to
evaluate them. Do not allow calculators to be used on these exercises.
Exercise 5
5. Use the definition of rational exponents and properties of exponents to rewrite each expression with rational
exponents containing as few fractions as possible. Then, evaluate each resulting expression for 𝒙 = 𝟓𝟎, 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟐,
and 𝒛 = 𝟑.
a. √𝟖𝒙𝟑 𝒚𝟐
𝟑 𝟑 𝟐
√𝟖𝒙𝟑 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟐𝟐 𝒙𝟐 𝒚𝟐
𝟏
= 𝟐𝒙𝒚 ⋅ (𝟐𝒙)𝟐
𝟏
Evaluating, we get 𝟐(𝟓𝟎)(𝟏𝟐)(𝟐 ⋅ 𝟓𝟎)𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ⋅ 𝟏𝟐 ⋅ 𝟏𝟎 = 𝟏𝟐 𝟎𝟎𝟎.
𝟑
b. √𝟓𝟒𝒚𝟕 𝒛𝟐
𝟑
𝟏 𝟏 𝟕 𝟐
√𝟓𝟒𝒚𝟕 𝒛𝟐 = 𝟐𝟕𝟑 ⋅ 𝟐𝟑 ⋅ 𝒚𝟑 ⋅ 𝒛𝟑
𝟏
= 𝟑𝒚𝟐 ⋅ (𝟐𝒚𝒛𝟐 )𝟑
𝟏 𝟏
Evaluating, we get 𝟑(𝟏𝟐)𝟐 (𝟐 ⋅ 𝟏𝟐 ⋅ 𝟑𝟐 )𝟑 = 𝟑(𝟏𝟒𝟒)(𝟐𝟏𝟔)𝟑 = 𝟑 ⋅ 𝟏𝟒𝟒 ⋅ 𝟔 = 𝟐𝟓𝟗𝟐.
Exercise 6 (5 minutes)
This exercise reminds students that rational numbers can be represented in decimal form and gives them a chance to
work on their numeracy skills. Students should work on this exercise with a partner or in their groups to encourage
dialogue and debate. Have a few students demonstrate their results to the entire class. There is more than one possible
approach, so when debriefing, try to share different approaches that show varied reasoning. Conclude with one or two
strong arguments. Students can confirm their reasoning using a calculator.

68
ALGEBRA II
Exercise 6
6. Order these numbers from smallest to largest. Explain your reasoning.
𝟏𝟔𝟐.𝟓 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐
The number 𝟏𝟔𝟐.𝟓 is between 𝟐𝟓𝟔 and 𝟒, 𝟎𝟗𝟔. We can rewrite 𝟏𝟔𝟐.𝟓 = (𝟐𝟒 )𝟐.𝟓 , which is 𝟐𝟏𝟎,
so 𝟏𝟔𝟐.𝟓 = 𝟐𝟏𝟎 = 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟒.
MP.3 The number 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐 is between 𝟑𝟐 and 𝟏, 𝟎𝟐𝟒. We can rewrite 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐 = (𝟐𝟓 )𝟏.𝟐 , which is 𝟐𝟔 , so 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐 = 𝟐𝟔 = 𝟔𝟒.
The number 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 is larger than 𝟗𝟑 , so 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 is larger than 𝟕𝟐𝟗.
Thus, 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐 is clearly the smallest number, but we need to determine if 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 is greater than or less than 𝟏, 𝟎𝟐𝟒. To do
this, we know that 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 = 𝟗𝟑+𝟎.𝟔 = 𝟗𝟑 ∙ 𝟗𝟎.𝟔 . This means that 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 > 𝟗𝟑 ∙ 𝟗𝟎.𝟓 , and 𝟗𝟑 ∙ 𝟗𝟎.𝟓 = 𝟕𝟐𝟗 ∙ 𝟑, which is
greater than 𝟏, 𝟎𝟐𝟒.
Thus, the numbers in order from smallest to largest are 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐 , 𝟏𝟔𝟐.𝟓 , and 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 .
Closing (2 minutes)
Have students summarize the definition and properties of rational exponents and any important ideas from the lesson
by creating a list of what they have learned so far about the properties of exponents and radicals. Circulate around the
classroom to informally assess understanding. Reinforce the properties of exponents listed below.
Lesson Summary
The properties of exponents developed in Grade 8 for integer exponents extend to rational exponents.
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
That is, for any integers 𝒎, 𝒏, 𝒑, and 𝒒, with 𝒏 > 𝟎 and 𝒒 > 𝟎, and any real numbers 𝒂 and 𝒃 so that 𝒂𝒏 , 𝒃𝒏 , and 𝒃𝒒
are defined, we have the following properties of exponents:
𝒎 𝒑 𝒎 𝒑
+
1. 𝒃 𝒏 ∙ 𝒃𝒒 = 𝒃 𝒏 𝒒
𝒎
𝒏
2. 𝒃 𝒏 = √𝒃𝒎
𝟏 𝒏
3. (𝒃𝒏 ) = 𝒃
𝟏
4. (𝒃𝒏 )𝒏 = 𝒃
𝒎 𝒎 𝒎
5. (𝒂𝒃) 𝒏 = 𝒂 𝒏 ⋅ 𝒃 𝒏
𝒑
𝒎 𝒒 𝒎𝒑
6. (𝒃 𝒏 ) = 𝒃 𝒏𝒒
𝒎 𝟏
7. 𝒃− 𝒏 = 𝒎 .
𝒃𝒏
Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

69
ALGEBRA II
Name Date
Exit Ticket
11 2
1. Find the exact value of 910 ∙ 95 without using a calculator.
3 3
2. Justify that √8 ∙ √8 = √16 using the properties of exponents in at least two different ways.

70
ALGEBRA II
Exit Ticket Sample Solutions
𝟏𝟏 𝟐
1. Find the exact value of 𝟗𝟏𝟎 ∙ 𝟗𝟓 without using a calculator.
𝟏𝟏 𝟐 𝟏𝟏 𝟐
𝟗𝟏𝟎 ∙ 𝟗𝟓 = 𝟗𝟏𝟎+𝟓
𝟏𝟓
= 𝟗𝟏𝟎
𝟑
= 𝟗𝟐
𝟐 𝟑
= (√𝟗)
= 𝟐𝟕
𝟑 𝟑
2. Justify that √𝟖 ∙ √𝟖 = √𝟏𝟔 using the properties of exponents in at least two different ways.
𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟏 𝟏
𝟖𝟑 ∙ 𝟖𝟑 = 𝟖𝟑 𝟏𝟔𝟐 = (𝟒 ∙ 𝟒)𝟐
𝟐 𝟏 𝟏
= (𝟐𝟑 )𝟑 = 𝟒𝟐 ∙ 𝟒𝟐
= 𝟐𝟐 =𝟐∙𝟐
𝟒 𝟏 𝟏
= 𝟐𝟐 = 𝟖𝟑 ∙ 𝟖𝟑
𝟏 𝟑 𝟑
= (𝟐𝟒 )𝟐 = √𝟖 ∙ √𝟖
= √𝟏𝟔
Problem Set Sample Solutions
1. Evaluate each expression for 𝒂 = 𝟐𝟕 and 𝒃 = 𝟔𝟒.

𝟑 𝟐
a. √𝒂√𝒃 b. 𝟑
(𝟑 √𝒂√𝒃)
𝟑
√𝟐𝟕 ∙ √𝟔𝟒 = 𝟑 ∙ 𝟖 = 𝟐𝟒 (𝟑 ∙ 𝟑 ∙ 𝟖)𝟐 = 𝟓𝟏𝟖𝟒
𝟑 𝟐 𝟐 𝟑
c. ( √𝒂 + 𝟐√𝒃) d. 𝒂−𝟑 + 𝒃𝟐
(𝟑 + 𝟐 ∙ 𝟖)𝟐 = 𝟑𝟔𝟏 𝟏 𝟑 𝟏 𝟏
𝟐 + (√𝟔𝟒) = + 𝟓𝟏𝟐 = 𝟓𝟏𝟐
𝟑
(√𝟐𝟕) 𝟗 𝟗
𝟐 𝟑 −𝟏 𝟐 𝟏 𝟑 −𝟏
e. (𝒂−𝟑 ∙ 𝒃𝟐 ) f. (𝒂−𝟑 − 𝒃𝟐 )
𝟖
−𝟏
𝟏 𝟗 𝟏 𝟏 −𝟏
𝟓𝟕𝟓 −𝟏 𝟗
( ∙ 𝟓𝟏𝟐) = ( − ∙ 𝟓𝟏𝟐) = (− ) =−
𝟗 𝟓𝟏𝟐 𝟗 𝟖 𝟗 𝟓𝟕𝟓

71
ALGEBRA II
2. Rewrite each expression so that each term is in the form 𝒌𝒙𝒏 , where 𝒌 is a real number, 𝒙 is a positive real number,
and 𝒏 is a rational number.
𝟐 𝟏 𝟏 𝟓
a. 𝒙−𝟑 ∙ 𝒙𝟑 b. 𝟐𝒙𝟐 ∙ 𝟒𝒙−𝟐
𝟏
𝒙−𝟑 𝟖𝒙−𝟐
𝟏 𝟏 −𝟐
𝟏𝟎𝒙𝟑 d. (𝟑𝒙𝟒 )
c.
𝟐𝒙𝟐
𝟓
𝟏 −𝟏
𝒙 𝟐
𝟓𝒙−𝟑 𝟗
𝟏 𝟒
e. 𝐱 𝟐 (𝟐𝒙𝟐 − ) 𝟑 𝟐𝟕
𝒙 f. √
𝒙𝟔
𝟓 𝟏
𝟐𝒙𝟐 − 𝟒𝒙−𝟐
𝟑𝒙−𝟐
g. 𝟑 𝟑
√𝒙 ∙ √−𝟖𝒙𝟐 ∙ √𝟐𝟕𝒙𝟒
𝟑
𝟐𝒙𝟒 −𝒙𝟐 −𝟑𝒙
h.
𝟕 √𝒙
−𝟔𝒙𝟑 𝟕 𝟑 𝟏
𝟐𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟑𝒙𝟐
√𝒙−𝟐𝒙−𝟑
i.
𝟒𝒙𝟐
𝟏 −𝟑 𝟏 −𝟓
𝒙 𝟐− 𝒙
𝟒 𝟐
𝟐
3. Show that (√𝒙 + √𝒚) is not equal to 𝒙𝟏 + 𝒚𝟏 when 𝒙 = 𝟗 and 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟔.
𝟐
When 𝒙 = 𝟗 and 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟔, the two expressions are (√𝟗 + √𝟏𝟔) and 𝟗 + 𝟏𝟔. The first expression simplifies to 𝟒𝟗,
and the second simplifies to 𝟐𝟓. The two expressions are not equal.
𝟏 𝟏 −𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
4. Show that (𝐱 𝟐 + 𝐲 𝟐 ) is not equal to 𝟏 + 𝟏 when 𝒙 = 𝟗 and 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟔.
𝒙𝟐 𝒚𝟐
−𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
When 𝒙 = 𝟗 and 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟔, the two expressions are (√𝟗 + √𝟏𝟔) and + . The first expression is , and the
√𝟗 √𝟏𝟔 𝟕
𝟏 𝟏 𝟕
second one is + = . The two expressions are not equal.
𝟑 𝟒 𝟏𝟐
5. From these numbers, select (a) one that is negative, (b) one that is irrational, (c) one that is not a real number, and
(d) one that is a perfect square:
𝟏
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 −
𝟐 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐
𝟑𝟐 ∙ 𝟗𝟐 , 𝟐𝟕𝟑 ∙ 𝟏𝟒𝟒𝟐 , 𝟔𝟒𝟑 − 𝟔𝟒𝟑 , and (𝟒 𝟐 − 𝟒𝟐 ) .
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
The first number, 𝟑𝟐 ∙ 𝟗𝟐 , is irrational; the second number, 𝟐𝟕𝟑 ∙ 𝟏𝟒𝟒𝟐 , is a perfect square; the third number,
𝟏
𝟏 𝟐 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐
𝟔𝟒𝟑 − 𝟔𝟒𝟑 , is negative; and the last number, (𝟒−𝟐 − 𝟒𝟐 ) , is not a real number.

72
ALGEBRA II
𝒏
𝟏
6. Show that for any rational number 𝒏, the expression 𝟐𝒏 ∙ 𝟒𝒏+𝟏 ∙ ( ) is equal to 𝟒.
𝟖
𝟐𝒏 ∙ 𝟐𝟐𝒏+𝟐 ∙ 𝟐−𝟑𝒏 = 𝟐𝟐 = 𝟒
7. Let 𝒏 be any rational number. Express each answer as a power of 𝟏𝟎.

a. Multiply 𝟏𝟎𝒏 by 𝟏𝟎.
𝟏𝟎𝒏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎 = 𝟏𝟎𝒏+𝟏
b. Multiply √𝟏𝟎 by 𝟏𝟎𝒏 .

𝟏 𝟏
𝟏𝟎𝟐 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 = 𝟏𝟎𝟐+𝒏
c. Square 𝟏𝟎𝒏 .
(𝟏𝟎𝒏 )𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝒏
d. Divide 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 by 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝒏 .

𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏
= 𝟏𝟎𝟐+𝒏−𝟐𝒏 = 𝟏𝟎𝟐−𝒏
𝟏𝟎𝟐𝒏
e. Show that 𝟏𝟎𝒏 = 𝟏𝟏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 − 𝟏𝟎𝒏+𝟏 .
𝟏𝟏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 − 𝟏𝟎𝒏+𝟏 = 𝟏𝟏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 − 𝟏𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏

= 𝟏𝟎𝒏 (𝟏𝟏 − 𝟏𝟎)
= 𝟏𝟎𝒏 ∙ 𝟏
= 𝟏𝟎𝒏
8. Rewrite each of the following radical expressions as an equivalent exponential expression in which each variable
occurs no more than once.
a. √𝟖𝒙𝟐 𝒚
𝟐 𝟐 𝟏
√𝟖𝒙𝟐 𝒚 = 𝟐𝟐 𝒙𝟐 (𝟐𝒚)𝟐
𝟏
= 𝟐𝒙 ⋅ (𝟐𝒚)𝟐
𝟑 𝟏
= 𝟐𝟐 𝒙 𝒚𝟐
𝟓
b. √𝟗𝟔𝒙𝟑 𝒚𝟏𝟓 𝒛𝟔
𝟓
𝟏
√𝟗𝟔𝒙𝟑 𝒚𝟏𝟓 𝒛𝟔 = (𝟑𝟐 ⋅ 𝟑 ⋅ 𝒙𝟑 ⋅ 𝒚𝟏𝟓 ⋅ 𝒛𝟔 )𝟓
𝟏 𝟏 𝟑 𝟏𝟓 𝟔
= 𝟑𝟐𝟓 ⋅ 𝟑𝟓 ⋅ 𝒙𝟓 ⋅ 𝒚 𝟓 ⋅ 𝒛𝟓
𝟏 𝟑 𝟔
= 𝟐 ∙ 𝟑𝟓 ∙ 𝒙𝟓 ∙ 𝒚𝟑 ∙ 𝒛𝟓
9. Use properties of exponents to find two integers that are upper and lower estimates of the value of 𝟒𝟏.𝟔 .
𝟒𝟏.𝟓 < 𝟒𝟏.𝟔 < 𝟒𝟐
𝟒𝟏.𝟓 = 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟖 and 𝟒𝟐 = 𝟏𝟔, so 𝟖 < 𝟒𝟏.𝟔 < 𝟏𝟔.

73
ALGEBRA II
10. Use properties of exponents to find two integers that are upper and lower estimates of the value of 𝟖𝟐.𝟑 .
𝟏
𝟖𝟐 < 𝟖𝟐.𝟑 < 𝟖𝟐+𝟑
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
𝟖𝟐 = 𝟔𝟒 and 𝟖𝟑 = 𝟐, so 𝟖𝟐+𝟑 = 𝟖𝟐 ⋅ 𝟖𝟑 = 𝟏𝟐𝟖. Thus, 𝟔𝟒 < 𝟖𝟐.𝟑 < 𝟏𝟐𝟖.
11. Kepler’s third law of planetary motion relates the average distance, 𝒂, of a planet from the sun to the time, 𝒕, it
takes the planet to complete one full orbit around the sun according to the equation 𝒕𝟐 = 𝒂𝟑 . When the time, 𝒕, is
measured in Earth years, the distance, 𝒂, is measured in astronomical units (AUs). (One AU is equal to the average
distance from Earth to the sun.)
a. Find an equation for 𝒕 in terms of 𝒂 and an equation for 𝒂 in terms of 𝒕.
𝒕𝟐 = 𝒂𝟑
𝟑
𝒕 = 𝒂𝟐
𝟐
𝒂 = 𝒕𝟑
b. Venus takes about 𝟎. 𝟔𝟏𝟔 Earth year to orbit the sun. What is its average distance from the sun?
𝟐
Because 𝒂 = (𝟎. 𝟔𝟏𝟔)𝟑 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟕𝟐𝟒, the average distance from Venus to the sun is 𝟎. 𝟕𝟐𝟒 𝐀𝐔.
c. Mercury is an average distance of 𝟎. 𝟑𝟖𝟕 AU from the sun. About how long is its orbit in Earth years?
𝟑
Because 𝒕 = (𝟎. 𝟑𝟖𝟕)𝟐 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟐𝟒𝟏, the length of Mercury's orbit is approximately 𝟎. 𝟐𝟒𝟏 Earth years.

74

Properties of Exponents

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Properties of Exponents

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NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 4 M3

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Opening Exercise (5 minutes)

√𝟏𝟐 ⋅ √𝟑 = √𝟏𝟐 ∙ 𝟑 = √𝟑𝟔 = 𝟔

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Examples 1–3 (10 minutes)

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Exercises 1–4 (6 minutes) Scaffolding:

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

6. Order these numbers from smallest to largest. Explain your reasoning.

𝟏𝟔𝟐.𝟓 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 𝟑𝟐𝟏.𝟐

The number 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 is larger than 𝟗𝟑 , so 𝟗𝟑.𝟔 is larger than 𝟕𝟐𝟗.

Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Exit Ticket Sample Solutions

Problem Set Sample Solutions

1. Evaluate each expression for 𝒂 = 𝟐𝟕 and 𝒃 = 𝟔𝟒.

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

7. Let 𝒏 be any rational number. Express each answer as a power of 𝟏𝟎.

b. Multiply √𝟏𝟎 by 𝟏𝟎𝒏 .

d. Divide 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 by 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝒏 .

e. Show that 𝟏𝟎𝒏 = 𝟏𝟏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 − 𝟏𝟎𝒏+𝟏 .

𝟏𝟏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 − 𝟏𝟎𝒏+𝟏 = 𝟏𝟏 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏 − 𝟏𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝒏

𝟒𝟏.𝟓 < 𝟒𝟏.𝟔 < 𝟒𝟐

𝟒𝟏.𝟓 = 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟖 and 𝟒𝟐 = 𝟏𝟔, so 𝟖 < 𝟒𝟏.𝟔 < 𝟏𝟔.

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

Lesson 4: Properties of Exponents and Radicals

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