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INDICES and SURDS

This chapter deals with two interwoven topics which are fundamental to AS / A-level Mathematics. Indeed, one measure of their importance is the fact that these topics feature quite heavily at the Higher level GCSE and so should be quite familiar to most students.

1) Indices. By an index, we mean a power, e.g., 32 reads as 3 to the power of 2 and refers to the simple calculation 3 3. With 32, 3 is known as the base and 2 is called the index.

Similarly, 25 equals 2 2 2 2 2 which in turn equals 32.

The thing to note at this stage is that indices are based inherently upon multiplication, a statement whose importance will become more prominent as we progress.

We begin with a reminder of the basic rules of indices.

Basic rules.

We illustrate each basic rule with an example, each of which can be checked on a calculator! Rule i) xm xn = xm + n.

i)

23 22 = 2 2 2 2 2 = 25 .

23

22

ii)

25 22 =

2 2 2 2 2 = 23 . 2 2

Rule ii)

xm xn = xm n.

iii)

( 2 3 ) 2 = (2 2 2)2 = (2 2 2) (2 2 2) = 26.
20 = 21 1 =

Rule iii)

( x m )n

= xmn.

iv)

21 = 1. 21

Rule iv)

x0 = 1.

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NOTE. It is simply not true that (x + y)2 = x2 + y2.

For example, consider (1 + 2)2 which equals 9, whilst 12 + 22 equals 5. Indices are based upon multiplication and division only, which is why there are NO basic rules surrounding addition & subtraction.
INDICES AND ADDITION / SUBTRACTION DO NOT MIX!

Example 1.1. Simplify the following: (Note that none involve additions / subtractions!)

a)

x3 x4

b)

( x 3 )4

c)

( 3x 2 ) 3 .

Exercise 1.1. Simplify the following: 1. 4. 7. 10. 13. 16. 19.

(a 4 ) 5 ( p 3q 5 ) 4
p12 p4 10a15 ( a 2 )
5 3

2. 5. 8. 11. 14. 17. 20.

( x2 )7
x10 x6 15p6 5p4 4 ( a 3 ) 2a8 20 ( x 3 ) 5 x 2
3 6 5

3. 6. 9. 12.
7

( a 3b 2 ) 3
a7 a5 21a4 7a4 16 ( a 2 ) 2a8 15a3b6 3ab4 27a2bc2 2(ab)2
5

8 ( x 2 ) 4x3 18a3b2c4 6abc 6a2bc3 2a2bc 3a2b2c

( )

15. 18.
2

20 ( a 3b) 5ab3

9xy4 2x5yz3 6 ( x 2 yz ) .

Answers. 1. a20 5. x4 9. 3 13. 2x7 17. 4a8


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2. 6. 10. 14. 18.

x14 a2 10a9 4x4 54a4b3c2

3. 7. 11. 15. 19.

a9 b6 p8 2a7 5a2b2 4a2c3

4. 8. 12. 16. 20.

p12q20 3p2 8a2 3a2bc3 3x2y3z.


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Negative indices. It is a curious fact (at least at first acquaintance!) that, for example, 23 equates to of course is the same as 1 . 8 1 which 23

To get some idea why, consider the following sequence of elementary calculations: 24 23 22 21 = = = = 2222= 222 22 2 = = = 16 8 4 2

No problem so far. We can extend this sequence by simply noting that the result of each calculation is half of the preceding calculation. Thus: 21 20 21 22 and hence = = = = 23 2 1 1 2 1 4 1 = . 8

(We already knew this from above. c.f. rule iv).)

I admit that, at first glance, this all seems a little cryptic. After all, quantities such as 23 are easily understood as representing little more than a count of how many copies of the base number are to be multiplied together. That is, 23 = 2 2 2 etc. Armed with this knowledge, quantities such as 23 thus appear almost absurd!

It might help to think of it this way: 23 is based upon multiplication, that is 23 = 2 2 2. whilst 23 is based upon division, that is 23 = 1 1 = etc. 3 2 2 2 2

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Using methods identical to the above we could easily verify the following: i) iii) etc. 32 = 32 1 1 = . 2 9 3 1 1 = 2 = . 9 3 ii) iv) 24 = 43 1 1 = . 4 16 2 1 1 = 3 = . 64 4

Rule v) xn =

1 . xn

Of course it goes without saying that these negative indices follow our already established rules for indices. (It would be a pretty chaotic world if they did not!) For example, if we were to multiply 23 by 23 we should get: 23 23 = 23 + (3) = 20 = 1 (using rule i) which tells us to add the indices) (using rule iv) which gives us that x0 = 1.)

To see that this result really does make sense, consider: 23 23 = 23 1 1 (using the fact that 23 = 3 ) 3 2 2 1 = 8 8 = 1.

The following example relies upon the fact that these negative indices do indeed follow our established rules.

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Example 1.2. Simplify the following: c)

a)

1 5 5 5 e)

b)
2

x2 x5

x3 x3

d)

( x 1 ) 2

1 4

Its worth pointing out at this stage that questions such as the above can often be tackled in a number of different ways. For example, consider e) above in which we could have replaced have written: 1 by 41. Thus, we could 4

1 4 16.

= 4 1

( )

-2

, which, upon using rule iii), becomes 4(1)

(2)

which in turn equals 42 or

Fractional indices.

Using the xy button on a calculator we quickly verify the following:

42 = 2
1

92 = 3
1

16 2 = 4
1

25 2 = 5 etc.
1

It would appear then that x 2 =


1 1

x , the squareroot of the number x.


1

To see why, note that x 2 x 2 = x 2


1

1 2

by rule i), and thus x 2 x 2 = x. From this it is

clear that x 2 =

x.
1 1 1 1

Similarly, we have that x 3 x 3 x 3 = x and thus x 3 = of x.

x , the third root, or cuberoot,

Rule vi) x n =

x , the nthroot of x.
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Example 1.3. Simplify the following: (Check with a calculator.)


1

a) d)

2
4 2 9
1

b) e)

16 4

c)
1 2

83

(1 7 ) 9

Exercise 1.2. 1. Evaluate the following without a calculator. Show your working in full.
1

a) e) i) m) q) u) y)

64 2 2 1 2 27
2 3

b) f) j)

c)
2

1 2

g)
1

23 2 1 3 (2)2
3

d) h) l) p) t) x)

32
1

27 3 (2)3

9 2 4 9 4
16
3 2
5

k)
1

(6 41 )
4
2
3

1 2

n) r) v) z)

o) s) w)

100 2

(10 6 )
(1 7 ) 9
4
1 2

1 3

(2 12 )2
3

0.250

16 4

(4 )

1 2

(10 )
1 2

100 2 .

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2.

Express the following in the form an, stating the value of n. 1 1 a) a a b) c) a a 8 1 1 e) f) a3 g) 4 16 3 a5 a

d) h)

( )
a

4 3

( )
1
3

a2 a

i)

j)

a
4

3.

Express the following as algebraic fractions in their simplest form. 1 1 1 E.g. 25a 8 2 = . 1 = 4 25a 8 2 5a

a)

( 9a )

1 4 2

b)
3

(16a )

1 6 2

c)

(8a )

1 3 3

d)

2 3 . a

4. 5.

Simplify

(x x )
2x 4
1

Solve the following equations for x. (Give positive solutions only.)


1 2

a) d) Answers. 1. a) e) i) m) q) u) y) 2. a) e) i) 3. 4. 5. a)
1 2

x2 = 6
3

b) e)

x3 = 4 x
1 2

c) f)

x3 = 9 x
2 3

x2 = 8

=4

= 4.

8 1 4 9 5 2 1 8 1 1 10
3

b) f) j) n) r) v) z) b)
2

1 2 4 3 2 2 3 1 1 27 1 . 1000 a1
1

c) g) k) o) s) w)

1 8 9 4 1000 25 4 8

d) h) l) p) t) x)

1 9 3
8

1 100 4 3 1 16

a2 a a
3 3
2

c) g)

a a
5
8

d) h)

a3
3

f) j) b)

a3 a. 1 4a 3 x = 64 x= 1. 8

a2 a3 . 2 x=4

1 3a 2

c)

1 2a x = 27

d)

x.
x = 36 1 x = 16 b) f) c) d)

a) e)

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2) Surds. The numbers


the way that

2,

3,

5,

6 , ...... cannot be evaluated exactly (even with a calculator!) in

4 can. Such numbers are known as surds.

Any equation whose solution involves a surd, should be left in surd form, not as an infinite decimal. For example, the equation x2 = 2 has solutions x =

2 or x = 2 .1

With this in mind, we must be able to manipulate such quantities accordingly. There are 2 basic rules for the manipulation of surds:

i) ii)

ab = a = b

a a b .

Again, there are no direct rules involving addition or subtraction which reflects the multiplicative nature of indices and square roots.

These rules are easily verified.

Consider, for example, whilst

4 9 =

36 = 6

4 9 = 23 = 6 also.

That is, we have verified that

4 9 =

4 9 .

Indeed, an AS-level exam may well penalise us if we were to give the solutions to the equation x2 = 2 as x = 1.414 or x = 1.414 since such answers invariable involve an element of rounding and are thus technically inaccurate. www.mathsguru.co.uk Page 8

Example 2.1. Simplify the following surds: 75 a) 80 b) 5 2 9 d) 8 + 3 2 e) . 3

c)

18

I do think sometimes that the reason many students find this area of Mathematics difficult is perhaps the fact that there are almost too many ways of solving problems such as those shown above. This of course simply reflects just how fundamental a topic this is. The best advice is to simply stick with what you feel most comfortable with and do not attempt to run before you can walk! Give it time. With the following exercise, use the answers to point you in the right direction if you get a little bogged down.
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Exercise 2.1. 1. i) Simplify the following surds.

a) 12, f) 90,

b) 48, g) 325,

c) 18, h) 507, l)

d) 32, i) 60 000, m)
2

e) 28, j) 2 8,
3

k) 3 5 30, ii) Simplify the following surds. a) 27, f) 160, b) 75, g) 208,

( 5) ,

( 2) .

c) 50, h) 432, l)

d) 72, i) 240 000, m)


2

e) 63, j) 2 18,
5

k) 5 6 30, 2.

( 7) ,

( 2) .

i) Express each of the following in the form a b + c , where b is as small as possible. a) 2 3 + 7 3 d) 2 50 3, b) 2 + 18 + 2), 32, c) 45 + 4 5 3 20, f)

72 + 7 8, 12 ,

e) 2 (5

3 +

2 ,

g) 3 2 3

h) 3 2 + 50 ,

i) ( 2 + 8 + 18) 2 .

ii) Express each of the following in the form a b + c , where b is as small as possible. a) 5 3 + 3 3 2 3, d) 3 50 98 + 2 8, 18 , b) 2 + 50 + 2), 8, c) 20 + 5 5 f) 125,

e) 2 (3 h)

2 ,

g) 2 2 2 3.

2 + 32 ,

i) ( 2 + 50 + 18)2 .

Simplify the following. a) d)

( 2 ) ( 3) ,

b)

( 2 ) ( 3) ,

( 2) ,
5

e) 2 2 ,

( )

( ) f) (2 2 ) ,
4 5

c) 2 2 ,

g) 2 2 3 3 . 4. Simplify the following fractions by removing the surd from the denominator. 5 1 7 20 20 a) , b) , c) , d) , e) , 2 3 7 5 100 f) 14 7 , g) 1 2 , h) 75 108 , i) 12 2 3 ,
1 j) 2 4 ,

) (

k) 1 7 , 9

l) 2 7 , 9

m) 1 19 . 81

(Hint: convert mixed fractions to topheavy fractions.)


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5.

Express

6 3 5 7

in the form k 3 where k is an integer (whole number!).

6.

Express

in the form k 7 where k is a rational number (fraction!).

7.

i)

By multiplying the fraction 1 2 + 1 =

1 2 + 1

by

2 1 2 1

, show that

2 1.
a) 1 3 + 1 , b) 1 3 1 .

ii)

Simplify:

8.

a)

Simplify 2

3 2 +

)(

3 .

b)

Express

2 in the form a + b 3 . 2 3

9.

(3

2 3 cm l cm

The diagram shows a rectangle measuring 3 2 3 cm by l cm. Given that the area of the rectangle is 6 cm , find the exact value of l in its simplest form.
2

Answers. 1. i) a) 2 3 g) 5 13 m) 2 2 . ii) a) 3 3 g) 4 13 m) 4 2 . 2. i) a) 8 3 g) 0 ii) a) 6 3 g) 2 3. a) 18 g) 1728. 5 2 4. a) 2


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b) 4 3 h) 13 3 b) 5 3 h) 12 3 b) 9 2 h) 128 b) 9 2 h) 50 b) 108 b) 3 3

c) 3 2 i) 100 6 c) 5 2 i) 200 6 c) 5 i) 72. c) 2 5 i) 162. c) 64 c)

d) 4 2 j) 4 d) 6 2 j) 6 d) 18 2 d) 12 2 d) 4 2 d) 4 5

e) 2 7 k) 15 2 e) 3 7 k) 30 e) 5 2 2 e) 3 2 2 e) 16 2 e) 2

f) 3 10 l) 5 f) 4 10 l) 7 f) 5 + 2 6 f) 5 2 6 f) 64 2 f) 2 7

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5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

2 2 2 3. 5 7. 7 g) ii) a) b) a)

h)

5 6

i) 1

j)

3 2

k)

4 3

l)

5 . 3

3 1 2

b)

3 + 1 . 2

1. 4+2 3.

2 2 + 2.

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