EXPONENTS AND POWERS

CHAPTER 10 EXPONENTS AND POWERS

TERMINOLOGIES
Exponential form, base, power, index, exponent, positive integral exponent,
negative integral exponent, laws.

INTRODUCTION

In the previous class, we have learnt the laws of exponents and powers as whole numbers.
Here, in this chapter, we will study about the laws of exponents and powers as rational
number.

10.1 EXPONENTS AND POWERS

If a number is multiplied by itself a number of times, then it can be written in the
exponential form.
For example :
5  5  52 ,   8    8    8    8 3
If ‘a’ be any rational number and n be any positive integer then we define :
a × a × a × a × ........a (n times) = an.
We read an as ‘a’ raised to the power ‘n’. In an, the number ‘a’ is called the base and n is
called the exponent, power or index.
In 52 and (– 8)3, the numbers 5 and – 8 are the bases and 2 and 3 are the exponents
respectively.

(a) Positive Integral Exponents of a rational number

a
Let be any rational number and n be a positive integer, Then,
b
n
a a a a a a  a  a  a.......n times (a)n
 b  =     ......... up to n times = b  b  b  b  .......n times = n
  b b b b (b)
n
a (a)n
Thus   = n for every positive integer n.
 b  (b)

(b) Negative Integral exponents of a rational number

n n
a a b
Let be any rational number and n be a positive integer, then,   =  
b b a
Illustration 10.1
2 3
3  4 
Evaluate : (i)   (ii)  9  .
7  
2 2 3 3
3 7 49  4   9  729
Sol. (i) 7 =3 = 9 . (ii)  9  =   = .
       4  64

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 EXPONENTS AND POWERS

Illustration 10.2
Expand the following numbers using exponents :
(i) 789.35 (ii) 2005.007
1 1
Sol. (i) 789.35 = 7 ×100 + 8 ×10 + 9 ×1 +3 × +5×
10 100
= 7 × 102 + 8 × 101 + 9 × 100 + 3 ×10–1 + 5 ×10–2
1
(ii) 2005.007 = 2 × 1000 + 5 × 1 + 7 × = 2 × 103 + 5 × 100 + 7 × 10–3
1000
Illustration 10.3
Evaluate :
4 3
2  5 
(i) 3 (ii)  6 
   
4 3
 2  (2)4 16  5  ( 5)3 125
Sol. (i) 3 = 4 = . (ii)  6  = = .
  (3) 81   (6)3 216

(c) Laws of Exponents

a
Let be any rational number, and m and n be any integers, then, we have :
b
m n m n m n m n
a a a a a a
(i) b x b  b (ii) b  b  b
           
n n
 a m  mxn n n n
a a c a c  (a / b)  (a / b)n
(iii)       (iv) x
b d  x
b   d and   
b
   b        (c / d)  (c / d)n
n n 0
a b a
(v) b   (vi) b  1
  a  

Illustration 10.4
Find the value of :
2
1  3 
(i) 5–2 (ii) (iii) 70 (iv)  4 
7 2  
1 1 1
Sol. (i) 5–2 = = (ii) = 72 = 7×7 = 49
5 2
25 7 2
2 2
 3   4  ( 4)2 16
(iii) 70 = 1. (iv)  4  =  = = .
   3  (3)2 9
Illustration 10.5
Simplify :
6
 2
 3  3 4  3 3 
2
3 3
 5  5  8   27 
(i)  
2
(ii)  2   2 (iii)    (iv)   x  
 2      2    81   4 
 3 
 
6
 2
 3  6 2 4
Sol. (i)     2  2 16
2  3   3 =
 .
 2     81
3 
 

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 EXPONENTS AND POWERS

3 4 3 4 1
 5   5   5   5  2
(ii)  2   2      = .
     2   2  5
2
 3 3  3x( 2) 6 6
3 3 2 64
(iii)    =  =  =  =
2 2
  2  3  729
  
3 3 3 3
 8   27   8 27   2  8
(iv)  81    4  =  81 x 4  =  3  = .
        27

Illustration 10.6
Express 125–7 as a base of 5.
Sol. We have, 125 = 5 × 5 × 5 = 53
Therefore, 125–7= (53)–7 = 53 x(–7) = 5–21.
Illustration 10.7
Simplify :
1
2
(i) (2–1  5–1)–1  4–1 (ii) (4–1 + 8–1)   
3
Sol. (i) We have :
1 1
1 1 4
(2–1  5–1)–1 ÷ 4–1 =    ÷  
2 5  1
1
 1   1   10   1   1
=  ÷  4  =  1  ÷  4  =  10  4  = (10  4) = 40
10
         
1
2 1 1 3 (2  1) 3  3 3   3 2  1
(ii) (4–1 + 8–1) ÷   =    ÷   = ÷ =   =  =
3 4 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 3 4
Illustration 10.8
2 2 2
 1  1  1
Simplify :   +   +   .
2 3 4
Sol. We have :
2 2 2 2 2 2
 1  1  1 2 3 4
2 +  +   =  +  + 
  3
  4  1  1  1
= (2 + 32 + 42) = (4 + 9 + 16) = 29.
2

Illustration 10.9
Evaluate :
1
 1 1  1 1  3 5  105  125
(a)       (b)
 3   4   5 7  6 5
1
 1 1  1 1  1
Sol. (a)       = (3 – 4)–1 = (–1)–1 = =–1
 3   4   ( 1)1

3 5  105  125 3 5  (5  2)5  53 3 5  5 5  2 5  5 3

(b) 7 5
= 7 5
=
5 6 5  (3  2) 5 7  3 5  2 5
= 2–5+5  3–5+5  5–5+3+7 = 20  30  55 = 1  1  55 = 3125.

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Illustration 10.10
2
3
By what number should   be divided so that the quotient becomes 25 ?
5
Sol. Let the number be x.
2 2
3 3 1
   5  ÷ x = 25  5  = 25
    x
2
5 1 25 1
  3   x = 25   
9

x
= 25
 
25  1
 = 25     9  x  25 = 25
9x
25 1
 x= = .
9  25 9

Illustration 10.11
If 5 x + 3 = (25)3x – 4, then find the value of x.
Sol. 5 x + 3 = (25)3x – 4 = 52(3x – 4) = 56x – 8
5 x + 3 = 56x – 8
On both the sides power have the same base, so their exponents must be equal
11
 x + 3 = 6x – 8  x= .
5
Illustration 10.12
If x and y are prime integers such that xy = 128, then find the value of (x + y)2.
Sol. xy = 128, since 128 is an even number.
So, x is also an even number.
Since x is prime number and xy is even therefore x = 2.
2y = 128
2y = 2 7
On both the sides power have the same base, so their exponents must be equal.
So, y =7
therefore (x + y)2 = (2 + 7)2 = 81.

(d) Standard form of small and large numbers

We can represent very large and very small number in standard form with the help of
exponents.
For example :
Number Standard form
325000000 3.25x108
0.000005086 5.086x10–6
NOTE :
(i) The power of 10 is positive integer equal to the number of places the decimal
point has been moved left, when the number is more than 1.

(ii) The power of 10 is negative integer equal to the number of places the decimal
point has been moved right, when the given number is less than 1

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(i) Comparing very large and very small numbers

The diameter of the Sun is 1.4x109 m and the diameter of the Earth is 1.2756x107m.
If we want to compare the diameter of earth, with the diameter of the Sun.
Diameter of Sun = 1.4 ×109m
Diameter of Earth=1.2756 ×107 m
Diameter of Sun 1.4  109 1.4  109 7 1.4  100
Therefore, = = =
Diameter of Earth 1.2756  107 1.2756 1.2756
Which is approximately 100.
So, the diameter of the Sun is about 100 times the diameter of the earth
Mass of Earth is 5.97x1024kg and mass of moon is 7.35 ×1022kg. What is the total mass ?
Total mass = 5.97 ×1024kg + 7.35 × 1022 kg
= 5.97×100 ×1022kg + 7.35×1022 kg
= 597×1022kg + 7.35 × 1022 kg
= (597 + 7.35) ×1022 kg
= 604.35 × 1022 kg.

Ask yourself

1. Evaluate :
3
 1 
(i) 6–2 (ii)  3 
 

2. Simplify and express the result in power notation with positive exponent :
4
 3  32
(i) (– 3)4  (– 3)6 (ii)  2  ×
  27
3. Simplify
3 6 2 2
5 5  1 3
7 7    
    3 5

4. Find the value of m for which

4 9 8 15 2m  3
 1  1 m + 1 (ii) 4 4 4
(i)  6   6  = 6 9   = 
      9 9
 

5. Express the following numbers in standard form :

(i) 57400 (ii) 0.00000000005678
6. Express the following numbers is standard form :
(i) 73200000 (ii) 0·000629561 (iii) 151236000

Answers
2
1 1  1  343
1. (i) (ii)  2. (i)   (ii) 6 3.
36 27  3  5
4. (i) m = – 14 (ii) m = 5 5. (i) 5.74 × 104 (ii) 5.678 × 10–11

6. (i) 7.32 × 107 (ii) 6.29561 × 10–4 (iii) 1.51236 × 108

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 EXPONENTS AND POWERS

Add your knowledge

1. If ‘a’ is negative real number and ‘n’ is an even positive integer, then the principal nth root
of a is not defined, because an even power of a real number is always positive. Therefore
(–9)1/2 is a meaningless quantity, if we confine ourselves to the set of real number, only.

2. Laws of Rational Exponents

The following laws hold the rational exponents
(i) am × an = am+n (ii) am an = am–n
1
(iii) (am)n = amn (iv) a–n =
an
m
(v) am/n = (am)1/n = (a1/n)m i.e. am/n = n am =  a
n
(vi) (ab)m = ambm
m
a am
(vii) b = (viii) abn = ab + b + b.....n times
  bm
where a, b are positive real numbers and m, n are rational numbers.

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 EXPONENTS AND POWERS

Concept Map

EXPONENTS & POWERS

LAW’S OF EXPONENT

Exponential Form am × an = am+n

Scientific Notation or
axax….. upto n times = an Standard Form
am  an = am–n
base is a , exponent or power is n. 325000000 = 3.25 × 1088
(am)n = am×n
1
a–m = am
a° = 1 Comparison of Very
a1 =a Large & Very Small
Numbers
am × bm = (a × b)m
m
am  a
 
bm  b

Summary

1
1. If m is a positive integer and x and y are rational numbers such that xm = y, then y m  x .

1
2. y m is called the mth root of y and is written as m y .

3. If x is a positive rational number and m and n are any rational exponents, then
(i) xm × xn = xm + n (ii) xm  xn = xm – n
(iii) (xm)n = xm × n

4. If x and y are positive rational numbers and m is any rational exponent,

then xm × ym = (x × y)m.

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