5H Revision on Indices

m n
Rules of Indices: a m × a n = a m + n and a m ÷ a n = a m−n and (a ) = a mn
1 m
1 m
Negative and fractional indices: a −n
= n
a
and a = a n n
and a = n
( a)
n
or n
am

Special indices: a1 = a and a 0 = 1

1. Simplify the following expressions:

a. x 4 × x3 b. y5 × y 2 c. p3 × p d. x 7 × x −3

y7
e. x5 ÷ x 2 f. g. n10 ÷ n 4 h. z 6 ÷ z 3
y3

5 −2 w5
i. x ÷ x j. k. p5 ÷ p −2 l. x3 ÷ x −3
w −3

−3
3 2 3 −2 −1 −3  1 
m. (x ) n. (y ) o. (z ) p.  2 
w 

2. Simplify the following expressions:

4 3 3 3
a. ( ab ) b. ( xy ) c. 2
d. ( 2a )
( 3a )
4 2 5
e. ( 3y ) f. ( mn )

3. Simplify the following expressions:

a. 2a 2 × a 3 b. x 2 × 3 x 4 c. 2 y 2 × 3 y 2 d. 8 x 2 ÷ 2 x

e. 10 y 3 ÷ 2 y 2 f. 6 z 4 ÷ 3 z 2 g. 10 y 2 ÷ 5 y 3 h. 12 x 4 ÷ 3 x −2

4. Multiply out the brackets:

a. x3 ( x 2 + x 4 ) b. y 2 ( y 3 − y ) c. z 2 ( z 4 − 1)

5. Simplify:

x3 × x 4 t3 × t6 w2 × w − 3
a. b. c.
x2 t4 w −4
6. Solve the equation for n:

1
a. 2n = 8 b. 3n = 81 c. 4n = 4 d. 3n =
3

7. Simplify and express with positive indices:

1 −1 3 −3
a. 3x −1 b. 5 y −3 c. x d. u
2 4

8. Write in root form:

3 4 2 1
4 5 3 2
a. m b. x c. k d. x

1 2
− −
2 3
e. x f. x

9. Write in index form:

3
a. 3
y5 b. z4 c. x d. 3
t

10. Evaluate:

1 1 1 2
a. 9 2 b. 8 3 c. 27 3 d. 8 3

2 3 3 3
3 2 2 4
e. 27 f. 4 g. 25 h. 81

11. Simplify the following expressions:

3 1 4 1 3 1 3 1
− −
2 2 3 3 2 2 4 4
a. u × u b. v × v c. x ÷ x d. y ÷ y

2 2 0
 1  1  1 1
e.  t 2  f.  p − 2  g.  q 4  h. ( r 3 )3
     

12. Simplify the following:

 12 1
− 
1
 74 − 
1
−
3
a 3 × a −2 c 2 × c −2
a. x  x + x 2 
2
b. m  m − m 4  4
c. d.
    a c −1

1 3 1 4
− −
x2 × x 2
y 3 × y3
e.
x2
f.
y
g. (a 2
+ 1)( a −2 + 1) h. (b −1
+ 1)( b −1 − 1)

 12  12   12   − 12 
e.  x + 1 x + 1 f.  u + 1  u + 1
     