BJQK 1103

MATHEMATICS FOR
TECHNOLOGY
TOPIC 2: ADVANCED ALGEBRA
EXPONENT
• The exponent of a number means how many times to use the number in a
multiplication.
• Exponent is also called Power or Index.

82 = 8 × 8 = 64

53 = 5 × 5 × 5 = 125
24 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 16
Variable with an Exponent

• Variable is a symbol we don't know yet.

• It is usually a letter like x or y

• Example: y2 = yy
z3 = zzz
x5 = xxxxx
Be Careful About Grouping
NEGATIVE EXPONENT
• Negative Exponents Mean Dividing!
What if the Exponent is 1, or 0?
• Exponent of 1
• x1 = x
• We usually don't write the "1“, but x is also x1
• Example: 31 = 3, 71 = 7

• Exponent of 0
• y0 = 1
• we are not multiplying by anything
• Example: 50 = 1, 90 = 1
Exercise
1. What is the value of 63 ?
2. What is the value of 34 ?
3. What is the value of 2-4?
4. What is the value of 5-2?
5. What is the value of (-3)5?
6. What is the value of (-2)-5?
7. What is the value of (10)0?
8. What is the value of 52 + 62 ?
Laws of Exponents a x  a y  a x y

ax x y
 a
ay

(a x ) y a xy

(ab) x  a xb x
x
a ax
   x
b b

x 1
a  x
a
x

a  ax
y y
Multiplying Variables with Exponents

x 4 x5 = (x2y3) (x2y4) =
Dividing Variables with Exponents

x7 =
x3
Exercise
1. Simplify (2x5y2)(3y3)
2. Simplify (12y5z3) ÷ (4y2z4)
3. Simplify (3a6b5)(5a2bc3)
4. Simplify (30x6y4z2) ÷ (5x2y2z5)
5. Simplify (10x3y) × (2xy6) ÷ (4x2y3)
Fractional Exponents
Exercise
1. What is the value of 251/2 ?
2. What is (8)5/3 ?
3. 1
Solving Exponential Equations
• Simple method:
same base
• Examples:

we will get two solutions

Don’t worry,
this is acceptable
Solving Exponential Equations
• Examples: (Get the same base)
Exercise: Solving Exponential Equations
1) 5)

2)

6)
3)

4)
Solving Exponential Equations

How?

> We need to solve using LOGARITHM