Zero and

Negative
Integers as
Exponents
OBJECTIVES:
• simplify numerical expressions with zero and
negative integer exponents
• simplify algebraic expressions using only positive
exponents in the final result
Recal the following properties of
exponents:
mn
x x  x
m n
( xy )  x y
n n n

n
x x n

(x )  x
m n mn    n
 y y
Property 6
m
x mn
n
x when m<n
x
m
x mn 1
n
 x  nm
when m<n
x x
m
x
n
 1 when m=n
x
Definition 1. If n is a positive integer
and x is any real number, then

xn=x ∙ x ∙ x... x ----> n factors of x

Definition 2. If x is a non- zero real

number, then

x0=1
Examples:
x3 ∙ x0 = x 3 + 0 = x 3
50 = 1

(-525)0 = 1

N0 = 1

(x5y12)0 = 1, x ≠ 0 and y ≠ 0
 Definition 3. If n is a
4 4(4) positive integer and
x x x
4
x 1
0
x is a non-zero real
number,
Recall that x-4 is the
reciprocal of 1/x4 1
n
because their x  n
product is 1; that is x
2 1
x  2
x
 1 1
Examples: 4
 x 4

x 1
3 1 x 4
x  3
x

4 1 1
2  4 
2 16

2 1 1
10  2 
10 100
More Examples:
 2
 2  1 1 9
    
 3   2 
2
 4  4
   
 3   9 

Note: this example (2/3)-2 = (3/2)2.

In other words, to raise a fraction to a

negative power, we can invert the fraction and
raise it to the corresponding positive power.
More Examples:
x2
2 5 3 1
x 5
 x x  x 3

3
a 3 7
a 7
 a 3 ( 7 )
a  a 4

6
a
6
 a 6  ( 6 )
 a 6  6
 a  1
0

a
 Application:
4 4  5
2 2  2 5
2
1 1
10 10
5 7
 10 5  ( 7 )
 10 2
 2 or 0.01
10 100
2 
 3 2
 2 3( 2 )
 2  64
6
Let's Try!!!
 2
1) x 8
 x
 4  3
2 ) x  x

3 ) b  3
 4

4  2  3
4 )( x y )
 2
 x  1

5 )  2

 y 
Assessment:
3
1)3 2
1  2x 1

1
6) 3 11)  2 
3 3  x 
2)   
2 4  18 x 1 2

1 7)2  2
6 9 12) 
3)  4
2  9x 
 4
4)  
0 8)36  33
2
 
13)  32  6 x 2 
 3 10 24a 5
9) 1 14) 1
 2
3 10 3a
5)   1  2 1
 3 10)( 2  3 ) 15)( x 3 y 5 )  2