Exponents Discovery

Monday, October 07, 2013 10:07 AM

Part One 1. In the Powers Review, I learned many new things about exponents. One of the facts I learned was that Powers are repeated multiplication of the same factor. I also learned that base was the factor being multiplied in repeated multiplication. I also learned from the Components section that exponents are the number of factors in the repeated multiplication problem. Furthermore, I learned that there are four different ways you can read powers. If 4 was the base and 3 was the exponent you could read the powers like so; the third power of four, four exponent three, four to the third power, and four cubed. Another fact I learned was that a coefficient was needed if a variable was used as a base. The coefficient is the number before the base in a power. Finally , I learned that there are three ways of writing powers; exponential form, expanded form, and standard form. Exponential form is just the base and the exponent, for example . Expanded form is the power written into a repeated multiplication expression. Finally, standard form is a whole number; the product of the repeated multiplication equation. As you see I have learned a lot about powers, and hope to learn even more. 2. A Base is the factor being multiplied in the repeated multiplication equation. 3. A power or exponent are the number of factors in the repeated multiplication equation. 4. A base and a power tells us what number to multiply and how many times to multiply the same number. A base specifically tells us what number to multiply by and a power tells us how many times we multiply the same number. 5. A power is a short-cut to repeated multiplication. 6. When the exponent one is used geometry is 1D, when the exponent two is used geometry is 2D, and when the exponent three is used geometry is 3D. Part 2 Base Exponent Meaning(repeated Multiplication) Value

4
3

2x2x2x2
2x2x2

16
8

2 2 2 1 2 0 2 -1 2 1/2 0.5 or 1/2 1 1 2 2 2x2 4

-2 2 -3 2
-4 2

1/2 x 1/2

0.25 or 1/4

1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2

0.125 or 1/8

1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2

0.0625 or 1/16

Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base?- As you increase the exponent, you add another of two to the repeated multiplication equation.
Introduction to Exponents Page 1

increase the exponent, you add another of two to the repeated multiplication equation. Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base?- As you decrease the exponent you take away one of twos from the repeated multiplication equation. Though, when you decrease and the exponents are negative you add another 1/2 to the repeated multiplication problem. Part 3 What do you get when you add x by x?- 1x + 1x= 2x What do you get when you subtract x by x?- 1x-1x = 1x + -1x= 0 What do you get when you multiply x by x?- 1x * 1x= x^2 What do you get when you divide x by x? - 1x / 1x= 1x/1 / 1x/1 = 1x/1 * 1/1x = 1*1*1/ 1*1*1=1 What do you get when you multiply x by x by x?- 1x*1x*1x 1+1+1=3 x^3 What about x by x by x by x by x?- 1x*1x*1x*1x 1+1+1+1=4 x^4 What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x?- 1x*1x * 1x 1+1+1=3 x^3 What about x^2 by x^3?- 1x*1x * 1x*1x*1x 1+1+1+1+1=5 x^5 What about x^4 by x^6?- 1x*1x*1x*1x * 1x*1x*1x*1x*1x*1x= 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=10 x^10 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases.- When you multiply same bases with variables you add how many x's there are to find the exponent.

What do you get when you divide x by x?- 1x / 1x= 1x/1 / 1x/1 = 1x/1 * 1/1x= 1*1*1/ 1*1*1=1 What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x?- 1x*1x * 1x= 1+1+1 x^3 What about x^4 by x^2?- 1x*1x*1x*1x * 1x*1x= 4+2=6 x^6 What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3?- 1x*1x*1x*1x*1x / 1x*1x*1x= 5-3=2 x^2 What about x^6 by x?- x^6 / 1x 1x*1x*1x*1x*1x*1x / 1x 6-1=5 x^5 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases.- When you divide same bases with variables you subtract the exponents which gives you the exponent and the base is the same variable.

Introduction to Exponents Page 2

What do you get when you square x^3?- x^3 * x^3=x^6 1x*1x*1x * 1x*1x*1x 1+1+1+1+1+1=6 x^6 What do you get when you square x^4?- x^4 * x^4 = x^8 1x*1x*1x*1x * 1x*1x*1x*1x 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=8 x^8 What do you get when you cube x^2?- x^2 * x^2 * x^2 = x^6 1x*1x * 1x*1x * 1x*1x 1+1+1+1+1+1=6 x^6 What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power?- x^3 * x^3 * x^3 * x^3=x^12 1x*1x*1x * 1 x*1x*1x * 1x*1x*1x * 1x*1x*1x 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=12 x^12 What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power?- x^2 * x^2 * x^2 * x^2 * x^2= x^10 1x*1x * 1x*1x * 1x*1x * 1x*1x * 1x*1x= 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=10 x^10 Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent.-You add the number of exponents together from the repeated multiplication equation when raising a base with an exponent to find what the exponent for the power is.

Introduction to Exponents Page 3