COLLEGE PREP

SECTION 5A GETTING READY FOR CHAPTER 5

Objectives:
Simplify exponential equations using the product rule, the quotient rule, the power rule, and the Law of
Exponents.
Evaluate Exponential expressions with a Zero or negative exponent.
Convert between Scientific Notation and Decimal Notation.
Use Scientific Notation to multiply and divide.

NOTATION: in the expression
 ,
is called the base, and  is called the exponent or power.

Rules for Operations with Exponents

Operation Formula Example

Multiplying add exponents

 
  
 

 
Dividing subtract exponents 
 

 
Power to a power multiply exponents 
  
      
Power of a product exponent applies to each

 
   2  16 
factor (like distributing)
Power of a quotient exponent applies to

 5  125
       
numerator and denominator (like distributing)    
Power of a negative quotient exponent applies to


       5
numerator and denominator (like distributing)           
 
5 5 
This will cause everything inside to switch places.
Negative exponents moving the exponential factor   3

  or 
 3  
to the denominator creates a positive exponent ! "!

Zero Exponents any number or variable that has a
 $ 1

$  1 
zero exponent is always equal to 1
 4 4

Note: These power rules assume that the variable does not equal 0 whenever its in the denominator or if
it is raised to the zero power.

BEWARE of these common mistakes!!!

Error Formula Description Example

&  '
 &   Exponents do not distribute over addition or subtraction! 3 & 5 ' 3 & 5

&  2&5 2
' Like terms in fractions do not cancel! (Only factors cancel.) '

&  3&5 3
Zero exponent does not mean the same as multiply by

$ ' 0 5$ ' 0
zero!

 ' )
 Negative exponents do not make a monomial negative! 4 ' )4
EXAMPLES: Simplify each expression

Product Rule: Remember to deal with the coefficients separately.

A) *+ **  3   3
 243 B) +-+ .-/  2 5 0   100 1

Quotient Rule: Coefficients (numbers) are divided, exponents are subtracted.

2/ +.34

C) 2
 6  6  216 D) 5.3*
 
 6  
6

Zero Exponent Rule: Anything with an exponent of zero should be changed to a 1

E) .7  1 F) 5487  181  18

Negative Exponent Rule: Move ONLY the variable that the exponent is attached to. If its outside
parentheses, move everything within the parentheses.
 

G) +*  :
 
H) .;/  <=

8 * > ": :  . * ?
@ 
I) +  ":
 >:
 >
J) *
- ) +7 -/    $  0   
0

Power Rule: If you raise a power to a power, you are multiplying it by itself, therefore, you must raise any
coefficient to the power outside the parentheses, and multiply all exponents.
K) *+ /  3 3 3 3  3   3 L) A+ 7  7 $  7$  1

 
M) +C/  2
  16
 N) )/;* +  )4    
D < E 1< E

+
- * F: F: .;*
D < :D
< E
O)     P)  + 
 
.
: 
G H DD H=

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION. A number is written in scientific notation when it is in the form

I 10 where 1 J |
| J 10 and  is an integer.

To change a decimal to scientific notation:

Step 1: Count the number N of decimal places that the decimal point must be moved in order to get
only one digit (
) in front of the decimal.
Step 2: If you had to move the decimal to the left (you started with a large number), then your
exponent is positive (
I 10L ). If you had to move the decimal to the right (you started
with a decimal), then your exponent will be negative (
I 10L .
Examples: Write the following in scientific notation.
Q) +*4, /77  2.384 I 10
Move the decimal 5 places to the left (the original number is
greater than 1), so the exponent is +5.

R) 7. 7A5  7.1 I 10 Move the decimal 2 places to the right (the initial number is
less than 1), so the exponent is -2.

REVERSING THE PROCESS (going from scientific notation to decimal notation):

Look at the exponent on the 10. If the exponent is negative, move the decimal N spaces to the left (toward
the negative end of the number line). If the exponent is positive, move the decimal N spaces to the right (toward the
positive end of the number line).

Examples: Write the following in decimal notation.

S) )+. 4 I 57/  )28,000 The positive exponent means the decimal moves to the
right.

T) 5. /? I 57.  0.0000149 The negative exponent moves the decimal to the left.

MULTIPLYING & DIVIDING WITH SCIENTIFIC NOTATION.

Follow the usual rules of exponents, except separate the pieces. Simplify the numbers, then add/subtract the
exponents on the 10s.

Examples:
U) P* I 57+ QP+ I 57/ Q  3 2 I 10 10   6 I 101

V) P*. + I 57* QP/. 4 I 57/ Q  3.2 4.8 I 10 10   15.36 I 10  1.536 I 101

+.4I57? .
W)  . I 10@  2 I 10

5./I57/

*.2I57* .1 
X) A.+I57"5
 .  I 10 
I 10  .5 I 10  5 I 10

Homework: page 351: # 19-24, 31, 33, 37, 41, 45, 51, 57, 65, 69, 71, 81, 83, 85, 87, 91, 101, 105, 115,
117, 121, 131.