GCSE Maths | Indices

$a^m \times a^n = a^{m+n}$

Worked Example

$m^4 \times m^3 = m^{4+3} = m^7$

Question 1

a) $m^2 \times m^3$

b) $m^3 \times m^3$

c) $m^6 \times m^2$

d) $m^7 \times m^3$

e) $m^6 \times m^8$

f) $m^2 \times m$

g) $m \times m^3$

h) $m^7 \times m^8$

i) $m^9 \times m^2$

j) $m \times m^8$

k) $m^6 \times m^5$

l) $m^2 \times m^2 \times m^2 \times m^2$

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a) $m^5$   b) $m^6$   c) $m^8$   d) $m^{10}$   e) $m^{14}$   f) $m^3$

g) $m^4$   h) $m^{15}$   i) $m^{11}$   j) $m^9$   k) $m^{11}$   l) $m^8$

$a^m \div a^n = a^{m-n}$

Worked Example

$n^7 \div n^2 = n^{7-2} = n^5$

Question 2

a) $n^5 \div n^2$

b) $n^8 \div n^3$

c) $n^9 \div n^2$

d) $n^7 \div n^5$

e) $n^3 \div n$

f) $n^8 \div n$

g) $n^7 \div n^4$

h) $n^9 \div n^3$

i) $n^4 \div n^8$

j) $n \div n^3$

k) $n^{45} \div n^5$

l) $n^3 \div n^3$

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a) $n^3$   b) $n^5$   c) $n^7$   d) $n^2$   e) $n^2$   f) $n^7$

g) $n^3$   h) $n^6$   i) $n^{-4}$   j) $n^{-2}$   k) $n^{40}$   l) $1$

$(a^m)^n = a^{m \times n}$

Worked Example

$(y^4)^3 = y^{4 \times 3} = y^{12}$

Question 3

a) $(y^5)^2$

b) $(y^3)^2$

c) $(y^4)^3$

d) $(y^5)^4$

e) $(y^3)^6$

f) $(y^7)^3$

g) $(y^6)^6$

h) $(y^9)^2$

i) $(y^4)^8$

j) $(y^3)^{-5}$

k) $(y^{-5})^2$

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a) $y^{10}$   b) $y^6$   c) $y^{12}$   d) $y^{20}$   e) $y^{18}$   f) $y^{21}$

g) $y^{36}$   h) $y^{18}$   i) $y^{32}$   j) $y^{-15}$   k) $y^{-10}$

$(ka^m)^n = k^n \times a^{m \times n}$

Worked Example

$(3x^2)^3 = 3^3 \times x^{2 \times 3} = 27x^6$

Question 4

a) $(2x^3)^2$

b) $(5x^6)^2$

c) $(5x^5)^3$

d) $(2x^3)^4$

e) $(7x^5)^2$

f) $(4x^7)^3$

g) $(2x^6)^6$

h) $(10x^9)^3$

i) $(3x^4)^4$

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a) $4x^6$   b) $25x^{12}$   c) $125x^{15}$   d) $16x^{12}$   e) $49x^{10}$

f) $64x^{21}$   g) $64x^{36}$   h) $1000x^{27}$   i) $81x^{16}$

$a^0 = 1$

Worked Example

$6^0 = 1$

Question 5

a) $5^0$

b) $12^0$

c) $x^0$

d) $100^0$

e) $(-3)^0$

f) $y^0$

g) $7^0$

h) $(2x)^0$

i) $\left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^0$

j) $m^0$

k) $(4xy)^0$

l) $1^0$

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All answers $= 1$

$a^{-1} = \dfrac{1}{a}$

Worked Example

$8^{-1} = \dfrac{1}{8}$

Question 6

a) $5^{-1}$

b) $2^{-1}$

c) $10^{-1}$

d) $3^{-1}$

e) $7^{-1}$

f) $4^{-1}$

g) $x^{-1}$

h) $12^{-1}$

i) $100^{-1}$

j) $\left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^{-1}$

k) $\left(\dfrac{2}{3}\right)^{-1}$

l) $\left(\dfrac{3}{5}\right)^{-1}$

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a) $\dfrac{1}{5}$   b) $\dfrac{1}{2}$   c) $\dfrac{1}{10}$   d) $\dfrac{1}{3}$   e) $\dfrac{1}{7}$   f) $\dfrac{1}{4}$

g) $\dfrac{1}{x}$   h) $\dfrac{1}{12}$   i) $\dfrac{1}{100}$   j) $2$   k) $\dfrac{3}{2}$   l) $\dfrac{5}{3}$

$a^{\frac{1}{2}} = \sqrt{a}$

Worked Example

$25^{\frac{1}{2}} = \sqrt{25} = 5$

Question 7

a) $64^{\frac{1}{2}}$

b) $9^{\frac{1}{2}}$

c) $144^{\frac{1}{2}}$

d) $25^{\frac{1}{2}}$

e) $4^{\frac{1}{2}}$

f) $100^{\frac{1}{2}}$

g) $49^{\frac{1}{2}}$

h) $16^{\frac{1}{2}}$

i) $400^{\frac{1}{2}}$

j) $81^{\frac{1}{2}}$

k) $36^{\frac{1}{2}}$

l) $121^{\frac{1}{2}}$

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a) $8$   b) $3$   c) $12$   d) $5$   e) $2$   f) $10$

g) $7$   h) $4$   i) $20$   j) $9$   k) $6$   l) $11$

$a^{\frac{1}{3}} = \sqrt[3]{a}$

Worked Example

$64^{\frac{1}{3}} = \sqrt[3]{64} = 4$

Question 8

a) $8^{\frac{1}{3}}$

b) $27^{\frac{1}{3}}$

c) $64^{\frac{1}{3}}$

d) $125^{\frac{1}{3}}$

e) $1000^{\frac{1}{3}}$

f) $\left(\dfrac{1}{8}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

g) $\left(\dfrac{27}{64}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

h) $\left(\dfrac{125}{27}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

i) $\left(\dfrac{8}{125}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

j) $\left(\dfrac{64}{27}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

k) $\left(\dfrac{1}{1000}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

l) $\left(\dfrac{1}{27}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}$

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a) $2$   b) $3$   c) $4$   d) $5$   e) $10$   f) $\dfrac{1}{2}$

g) $\dfrac{3}{4}$   h) $\dfrac{5}{3}$   i) $\dfrac{2}{5}$   j) $\dfrac{4}{3}$   k) $\dfrac{1}{10}$   l) $\dfrac{1}{3}$

$a^{\frac{m}{n}} = \left(\sqrt[n]{a}\right)^m$

Worked Example

$8^{2/3} \rightarrow 2$ (cube root) $\rightarrow 4$ (squared)

Question 9

a) $25^{\frac{3}{2}}$

b) $4^{\frac{3}{2}}$

c) $\left(\dfrac{4}{9}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}$

d) $\left(\dfrac{9}{4}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}$

e) $\left(\dfrac{25}{16}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}$

f) $\left(\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}$

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a) $125$   b) $8$   c) $\dfrac{8}{27}$   d) $\dfrac{27}{8}$   e) $\dfrac{125}{64}$   f) $\dfrac{1}{8}$

Question 10

a) $8^{\frac{2}{3}}$

b) $27^{\frac{2}{3}}$

c) $\left(\dfrac{8}{27}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}$

d) $\left(\dfrac{27}{8}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}$

e) $\left(\dfrac{64}{125}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}$

f) $\left(\dfrac{1}{8}\right)^{\frac{2}{3}}$

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a) $4$   b) $9$   c) $\dfrac{4}{9}$   d) $\dfrac{9}{4}$   e) $\dfrac{16}{25}$   f) $\dfrac{1}{4}$

$a^{-\frac{m}{n}} = \dfrac{1}{a^{\frac{m}{n}}}$

Worked Example

$9^{-3/2} \rightarrow \dfrac{1}{9^{3/2}} \rightarrow \dfrac{1}{3}$ (square root) $\rightarrow \dfrac{1}{27}$ (cubed)

Question 11

a) $4^{-\frac{3}{2}}$

b) $9^{-\frac{3}{2}}$

c) $8^{-\frac{2}{3}}$

d) $27^{-\frac{2}{3}}$

e) $16^{-\frac{3}{2}}$

f) $4^{-\frac{5}{2}}$

g) $8^{-\frac{4}{3}}$

h) $27^{-\frac{4}{3}}$

i) $16^{-\frac{3}{4}}$

j) $32^{-\frac{2}{5}}$

k) $\left(\dfrac{4}{9}\right)^{-\frac{3}{2}}$

l) $\left(\dfrac{8}{27}\right)^{-\frac{2}{3}}$

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a) $\dfrac{1}{8}$   b) $\dfrac{1}{27}$   c) $\dfrac{1}{4}$   d) $\dfrac{1}{9}$   e) $\dfrac{1}{64}$   f) $\dfrac{1}{32}$

g) $\dfrac{1}{16}$   h) $\dfrac{1}{81}$   i) $\dfrac{1}{8}$   j) $\dfrac{1}{4}$   k) $\dfrac{27}{8}$   l) $\dfrac{9}{4}$


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