INDICES

Indices is the plural for Index.

2 4 represents a number written in Index Form, that is, 16 written in index form is 24.

16 24 2 2 2 2
24 2 is known as the base, and 4 is the power or index or exponent.

The base is usually written as a prime number.

Powers of 2 Powers of 3 Powers of 5 Powers of 7

20 = 1 30 = 1 50 = 1 70 = 1
21 = 2 31 = 3 51 = 5 71 = 7
22 = 4 32 = 9 52 = 25 72 = 49
23 = 8 33 = 27 53 = 125 73 = 343
24 = 16 34 = 81 54 = 625 74 = 2401
25 = 32 35 = 243 55 = 3125
26 = 64 36 = 729
27 = 128
28 = 256
29 = 512
210 = 1024
EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE:

Write 25 23 in index form.

Write 59 53 in index form.
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
5 3
59
59 53
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3
 ZERO INDEX EXAMPLE:
In general any number 1
0

Express 43 in index form.

5

Any number raise to the zero power is always

equal to 1.
SOLUTION

EXAMPLE
i 30 1 4
3 5
43 43 43 4 3 4 3

ii 1000 1 = 4 3 3 3 3 3

iii 24 24 2 4 4 20 1 435
415
If a power is raised to another power, we
keep the base, and multiply the powers.
52 523 56
3

EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE:

1 1 1

1 1 2
i 21 i Now 4 2 2 2 2
2 2
21 2
21 2
1 1 1 4 22 2
ii 22 2 =
And
2 2 2 4 1

1 1 1 Thus 4 4 2

iii 23 3
2 2 2 2 8 1
2
Hence 4 is the square root of 4.
1
iv 5
35
3
1 1 1
1 3
3 1
EXAMPLE
Simplify each of the following expressions:
i 2 x3 3x 2
SOLUTION
2 x 3 3 x 2 6 x 3 2 6 x 5

ii 3x 2 4 xy
SOLUTION
3x 2 4 xy 12 x 21 y 12 x 3 y

iii 5x y
4
2 3

SOLUTION

5x y
4
2 3
54 x 24 y 34 625 x8 y12

EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE:

645 1283 2435 273

Simplify Simplify
3210 818

SOLUTION SOLUTION
64 128
5 3
2435 273
Given that Given that
3210 818
2 6 5
(27 )3
=
3 3
5 5 3 3

=
(25 )10 3 4 8

230 221 325 39

= =
250 332
251 3259
50 =
EXERCISE C8

Simplify the following:

(1) p3 q2 pq5 (2) 7p5 q3 2p2 q

4x 2 3x 4 3x 2 4x 3
(3) (4)
3x 3 2x

3 5
(5) x 2 x 3 x 4 (6) a2 b 2 ab3

Calculate the values of the following:

1 2 -2
0 5
(7) 9 8 4
2 3
(8)
3

1 1 3
(9) 27 3 9 2 (10) 25 2