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MATHEMATICS LESSON
GRADE 7: EXPONENTS

DATE: …………………….
CONCEPTS & SKILLS TO BE ACHIEVED:
By the end of the lesson learners should know and be able to:
 The meaning of conceptual exponential notation, power, base and
exponent, index
 Calculate squares and cubes; square roots and cube roots

DBE Workbook 1, Sasol-Inzalo book, Textbooks,

RESOURCES:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Qw6gZzmSxQ-
ypsHmqx1LHnVbA2HsKX79
ONLINE RESOURCES
https://www.thelearningtrust.org/asp-treasure-box

DAY 1
INTRODUCTION :
WHY DO WE NEED EXPONENTS?
Exponents enable us to write repeated multiplication in a shorthand way, called the
exponential form. Ensure that learners can distinguish between the two concepts –
i.e. repeated multiplication and repeated addition.
LESSON DEVELOPMENT
CLASSWORK: SQUARES AND SQUARE ROOTS:
Activity 1:
1. Work through the following activity and complete the answers in your
classwork book.
Pic 1 Pic 2 pic 3

a. Draw picture 4 and 5 in your classwork book:

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EXPONENTS
b. Copy and complete the table

Picture 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12
number
Number of 1 4 9
small
squares

c. How many squares do you think will there be in picture 20? Explain your answer.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT FACTS NOW:

Numbers that make a square pattern when we multiply them, are called square numbers –
squares. In the table we multiplied the number of the picture with itself and got a square
number. This process is called “squaring a number”. Eg. 2 x 2 = 4; 3 x 3 = 9. This can be written
in a shorter notation that we call exponential notation: 22 ; 32 etc.

Activity 2: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK YOUR ANSWERS
IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON
1. Write the following in short notation/ square notation/ exponential notation
a. 3 x 3
b. 5 x 5
c. 10 x 10

2. Expand and calculate eg. 42 = 4 x 4 = 16

a. 52
b. 72
c. 112

3. Complete:
a. 32 =
b. □ = 102
c. 16 = □2
No. 3c is a very interesting example: You calculate which 2 numbers multiplied will
give you 16. This calculation we call SQUARE ROOT OF 16.
We use a specific symbol for this calculation called square root: √; thus √16 = 4;
4. Calculate the following
a. √25
b. √49

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EXPONENTS
CUBE AND CUBE ROOTS
Activity 3: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK YOUR ANSWERS
IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON
1. Cubes are stacked:
Stack 1 stack 2

In stack 1 we used 1 cube, In stack 2 we used 8 cubes and we will use 27 in stack 3
a. Copy the table in your workbook and complete:
Picture 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12
number
Number of 1 8 27
small cube
blocks

b. Explain how you calculate the numbers to complete the table.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT FACTS NOW:
The numbers of blocks in each stack are called cubes. Thus numbers used to calculate are
called cubic numbers because when we multiply them, we can form a “cubic stack”. In the
table we multiplied the number of the picture with itself twice and got a cube number. Eg. 2 x
2x 2 = 8; 3 x 3 x 3 = 27. This can be written in a shorter notation that we call exponential
notation: 23 ; 33 etc.

2. Write in exponential notation:

a. 4 x 4 x 4
b. 5 x 5 x 5

3. Calculate:
a. 43
b. 13

4. Complete:
a. 53 = □
b. □3 = 8
No. 3b is a very interesting example: You calculate which number multiplied 3 times
with itself, will give you 8. This calculation we call CUBE ROOT OF 8.
𝟑 𝟑
We use a specific symbol for this calculation called CUBE root √ : thus √𝟖 = 2;

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EXPONENTS
5. Calculate:
3
a. √125
3
b. √216

HOMEWORK: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK YOUR

ANSWERS IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

Activity 4:
1. Write the following in exponential notation
a. 6 x 6
b. 11 x 11
c. 20 x 20

2. Expand and calculate

a. 92
b. 122
c. 152

3. Complete:
a. 72 =
b. □ = 142
c. 36 = □2

4. Calculate the following

a. √49
b. √121

5. Write in exponential notation:

a. 4 x 4 x 4
b. 6 x 6 x 6

6. Calculate:
a. 23
b. 63

7. Calculate:
3
𝑎. √125
3
b. √343

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EXPONENTS
 MEMORANDUM : DAY 1
Activity 1

b.

Figure no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12
Number of small 1 4 9 16 25 36 64 100 144
squares

Activity 2

Number 1

a. 3 x 3 = 32
b. 5 x 5 = 52
c. 10 x 10 = 102
Number 2
a. 52 = 5 x 5
b. 72 = 7 x 7
c. 112 = 11 x 11
Number 3
a. 32 = 9
b. 100 = 102
c. 16 = 42
Number 4
a. √25= 5
b. √49= 7

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EXPONENTS
Activity 3:

1a.
Stack 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12
Number of 1 8 27 64 125 216 512 1 000 1 728
small cubes

b. Multiply the number of the stack 2 times with itself; 3 x 3 x 3

2.
a. 4 x 4 x 4 = 43
b. 5 x 5 x 5 = 53

3.
a. 43 = 64
b. 13 = 1

4.
a. 53 = 125
b. 23 = 8

5.
3
a. √125= 5
3
b. √216= 6

Activity 4:

1.
a. 6 x 6 = 36
b. 11 x 11 = 121
c. 20 x 20 = 400

2.
a. 92 = 9 x 9 = 81
b. 122 = 12 x 12 = 144
c. 152 = 15 x 15 = 225

3.
a. 72 = 49
b. 196 = 142
c. 36 = 62

4.
a. √49 = 7
b. √121 = 11

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EXPONENTS
5.
a. 4 x 4 x 4 = 43
b. 6 x 6 x 6 = 63

6.
a. 23 = 8
b. 63 = 216

7.
3
a. √125 = 5
3
b. √343 = 7

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EXPONENTS
 DAY 2
LESSON DEVELOPMENT
REVISION
EXPONENTS IS A SHORTHAND FORM OF THE WRITING REPEATED MULTIPLICATION.
CLASSWORK:
Work through the following activity and complete the answers in your classwork book.
Activity 1:

1. Express each number below as a product of prime factors.

Example: 250 = 2 × 5 × 5 × 5: 5 is a repeated factor of 250
(a) 35 (b) 70 (c) 140

A number that can be expressed as a product of one repeated factor is

called a power of that number.
Examples: 32 is a power of 2, because 32 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2
10 000 is a power of 10, because 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 = 10 000

2. Express each number as a power of 2, 3, 5 or 10. Eg. 8 = 23

(a) 125 (b) 64

(2 x 2 x 2 = 2 as the base and it has been multiplied thrice. Answer: 2 3

exponent
base
23
CONSOLIDATION

YOU SHOULD REMEMBER FROM TODAY’S WORK THAT:

1. Numbers in exponential notation comprises of a base and powers or exponents.
2. The base represents the factors while the exponents tells us how many times the
base was multiplied by itself.
HOMEWORK: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK YOUR
ANSWERS IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

Activity 2: Copy and complete the following table

1×1 9×9

72 92 32

11 squared 3 squared

121 36

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EXPONENTS
 MEMORANDUM DAY 2:
Activity 1:

11 x 11 7x7 1×1 9×9 3x3 6x6

112 72 12 92 32 62
11 squared 7 squared 1 squared 9 squared 3 squared 6 squared

121 49 1 81 9 36

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EXPONENTS
 DAY 3
INTRODUCTION
 Numbers in exponential notation comprises of a base and powers or exponents.
 The base represents the factors while the exponents tells us how many times the base
was multiplied by itself.
 We use a specific symbol for this calculation called square root: √

CLASSWORK: THE SQUARE ROOT

The INVERSE to finding the SQUARE OF A NUMBER is to find its SQUARE ROOT.
The question, “What is the square root of 25?” is the same as the question, “What
number, when squared, equals 25?”
The answer to the question is 5 because 5 × 5 = 25.

Activity 1: Work through the exercises and complete in your classwork

book
1 a. What number, when squared, equals 9? Explain.
b. What is the square root of 49? Explain.
c. What number, when squared, equals 81? Explain.
d. What number, when squared, equals 225? Explain.
e. What is the square root of 121? Explain.
f. What number must be squared to get 169? Explain.

HOMEWORK: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK

YOUR ANSWERS IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

Activity 2: Copy and complete the table:

Number Square root Check your answer

9 3 3x3=9
1 600
144
196
625

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EXPONENTS
 MEMORANDUM DAY 3:
Activity 1:

a. 3 3x3=9
b. 7 √49 = 7 7 x 7 = 49.
c. 9 9 x 9 = 81.
d. 15 15 x 15 = 2= 25
e. 11 √121 = 11 11 x 11=121
f. 13 13 x 13 = 169

Activity 2:

Number Square root Check your answer

9 3 3x3=9
1 600 40 40 x 40 = 1 600
144 12 12 x 12 = 144
196 13 13 x 13 = 169
625 25 25 x 25 = 625

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EXPONENTS
 DAY 4
INTRODUCTION:
 number multiplied 3 times with itself,
 we use a specific symbol for this calculation called CUBE root ∛:
CLASSWORK: CUBES
Activity 1
Perfect Cubes-

5x5x5 cubed Volume

5x5x5 cubed ?
1. Copy and complete the table below.

Expanded notation Exponent notation

1x1x1=1 13
2x2x2=8 23
3 x 3 x 3 = 27 33

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EXPONENTS
 CONSOLIDATION
HOMEWORK: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK YOUR
ANSWERS IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

Activity 2:
1. From the list of numbers: 3; 6; 8; 14; 16; 28; 41; 64
(a) Write down all the cube numbers:
(b) Which two numbers when subtracted will have an answer which is a cube number?
(c) Write down the value of:
(a) 103
(b) ten cubed
(c) 53
(d) six cubed
(d) Write down a cube numbers that are greater than 100 and less than 200.

MEMORANDUM DAY 4:
Activity 1:

Expanded notation Exponent notation

1x1x1=1 13
2x2x2=8 23
3 x 3 x 3 = 27 33
4 x 4 x 4 = 64 43
5 x 5 x 5 = 125 53
6 x 6 x 6 = 216 63
7 x 7 x 7 = 343 73

Activity 2:

a) 8 ; 64
b) 41 – 14 = 27 (27 = 3 x 3 x 3)
c) 1 000
d) 1 000 103
e) 53 = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125
f) 63 = 6 x 6 x 6 = 216
g) 125

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EXPONENTS
 DAY 5
INTRODUCTION: Calculating cubes
 A cube is any number which is the product of three identical factors. It means
that a number is multiplied by itself thrice. 5 x 5 x 5 = 53
 53 can be read as five cubed or five to the power three.
CLASSWORK:

THE INVERSE operation to finding the CUBE OF A NUMBER is to find its CUBE
ROOT.
The question, “What number, when cubed, equals 125?” is the same as the
question, “What is the cube root of 125?”
The answer to the question above is 5 because 125 = 5 × 5 × 5.
2 a. What number, when cubed, equals 27? Explain.
b. What is the cube root of 343? Explain.
c. What number, when cubed, equals 8? Explain.
d. What is the cube root of 1 000? Explain.
e. What number, when cubed, equals 512? Explain.
f. What number produces the same answer when it is squared and when it is cubed

HOMEWORK: DO THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR EXERCISE BOOK AND CHECK YOUR

ANSWERS IN THE MEMORANDUM BELOW TODAYS LESSON

Activity 2: Copy and complete the table:

Number Cube root Check your answer

8 2 2x2x2=8
27
64
125
216
1 331
1 000

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EXPONENTS
 MEMORANDUM DAY 5:
Activity 1:

a. 3 3 X 3 X 3 = 27
3
b. 7 7 X 7 X 7 = 27 √343 = 7
c. 2 2X2X2=8
d. 10
e. 8 8 X 8 X 8 = 512
f. 1 X 1 = 1 X 1 X 1
Activity 2:

Number Cubed Check your answer

8 2 2x2x2=8
27 3 3 x 3 x 3 = 37
64 4 4 x 4 x 4 = 64
125 5 5 x 5 x 5 = 125
216 6 6 x 6 x 6 = 216
1 331 11 11 x 11 x 11 = 1 331
1 000 10 10 x 10 x 10 = 1 000

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EXPONENTS