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