INDICES

Laws of Indices
Multiplication Zero Index Fractional Index
𝑎𝑚 × 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚+𝑛 𝑎0 = 1
1
𝑛
𝑎𝑛 = √𝑎
(𝑖) 24 × 23 (𝑖) 12 0
1
(𝑖𝑖) 2𝑥 2 × 𝑥 6 (𝑖𝑖) (2𝑝 )0 (𝑖) 8 3
(𝑖𝑖𝑖)𝑝2 × 4𝑞 2 × 3𝑝4 (𝑖𝑖𝑖) 2𝑝0 1
0 (𝑖𝑖) 𝑥 4
11𝑥 8 1
Division (𝑖𝑣) ( ) (𝑖𝑖𝑖) (4𝑎)2
3𝑦 3
1
𝑎𝑚 ÷ 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚−𝑛 (𝑖𝑣) 𝑚2 × 4√𝑚
Index of One
(𝑖) 58 ÷ 53 𝑎1 = 𝑎 𝑚 𝑛
𝑎 𝑛 = √𝑎𝑚
(𝑖𝑖) 𝑎9 ÷ 𝑎 6
(𝑖𝑖𝑖)12𝑝6 𝑞5 𝑟 2 ÷ 3𝑝4 𝑞2 𝑟 (𝑖)10 1 (𝑖𝑖)𝑥 1 2
(𝑖) 𝑝 3
(𝑖𝑖𝑖) 6𝑝1 5
(𝑖𝑖) √𝑥 8
1
Power to a Power (𝑖𝑣) 𝑥 2 √𝑥𝑦 3
(𝑎𝑚 )𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚×𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚𝑛 Negative Index
1
𝑎−𝑚 = 𝑚
(𝑖) (52 ) 7 𝑎
3
(𝑖𝑖) (2𝑥 4 )
2 (𝑖)4 −𝑥 (𝑖𝑖) 2−3
5𝑚8 1
(𝑖𝑖𝑖) ( 3 ) (𝑖𝑖𝑖) 5
3𝑛 3

Past Paper Questions

1 3 [𝟔] 2−3 =
[𝟏] − ( ) = 1 1
2 (𝐴) − 8 (𝐵) − (𝐶) (𝐷)8
1 1 1 1 8 8
(𝐴) − (𝐵) − (𝐶) (𝐷)
8 6 8 6
[𝟕] If a=4 and u=3 then (-a)u =
𝑥
[𝟐] 3 × 3 = 𝑦
(𝐴) − 81 (𝐵) − 64 (𝐶) − 12 (𝐷)12
(𝐴)9𝑥𝑦 (𝐵)3𝑥𝑦 (𝐶)9 𝑥+𝑦
(𝐷)3 𝑥+𝑦

[𝟖] (i)𝑥 2 × 𝑥 3 ÷ 𝑥 4
[𝟑] “y is equal to the square of x” can be written as
3 5
(𝐴)𝑦2 = 𝑥 (𝐵)𝑦 = 𝑥2 (ii)𝑎2 𝑏 2 × √𝑎𝑏 3
(𝐶)𝑦 = 2𝑥 (𝐷)𝑦 = 2 + 𝑥
[𝟗] (i) Given that 𝑎 = 2 𝑏 = −3 𝑐 = 0,
[𝟒] 3𝑥 2 × 2𝑥 3 =
6
evaluate 𝑎𝑐
(𝐴)6𝑥5 (𝐵)6𝑥6 (𝐶)5𝑥 (𝐷)72𝑥5
(ii) Given that 𝑥 = −2 𝑦 = 3 𝑡 = 2,
[𝟓] (8𝑎)2 = 𝑥 𝑡
2 4 evaluate (𝑦)
(𝐴)16𝑎 (𝐵)64𝑎2 (𝐶)16𝑎 (𝐷)16𝑎
 INDICES HOMEWORK

SOLUTIONS

128

𝑏4
𝑎4
2 2 1
1 =
√𝑥 𝑎2
𝑥2