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Mathematics
Quarter 2 SLeM 4
Simplifying Expressions with Rational
Exponents

Writing Expressions with Rational

Exponents to Radicals and Vice Versa

SUPPLEMENTARY LEARNING MATERIALS (SLeM)

Vivian S. Balano
Author
HOW TO USE THE SLEM

Before you start answering the SLeM, I want you to set aside other tasks that
will disturb you while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple instructions below to
successfully enjoy the objectives of this kit. Have fun!

1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every page of this
SLeM.
2. Write on your notebook or any writing pad the concepts about the lessons. Keep
in mind that writing develops and enhances learning.
3. Perform all the provided activities in the SLeM.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers.
5. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!

PARTS OF THE SLEM

• Expectations - These are what you will be able to know after completing the
lessons in the SLeM.
• Pre-Test - This will measure your prior knowledge and the concepts to be
mastered throughout the lesson.
• Looking Back to Your Lesson - This section will measure what learnings and
skills you were able to acquire from the previous lesson.
• Brief Introduction- This section will give you an overview of the lesson.
• Activities – These are activities designed to develop critical thinking and other
competencies. This can be done with or without a partner depending on the
nature of the activity.
• Remember - This section summarizes the concepts and applications of the
lessons.
• Checking Your Understanding - It will verify what you have learned from the
lesson.

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This SLeM is composed of two (2) lessons namely:

• Lesson 1 – Simplifying Expressions with Rational Exponents

• Lesson 2 – Writing Expressions with Rational Exponents to Radicals
and Vice Versa
Competencies:
a. Simplify expressions with rational exponents (M9AL-lle-1).
b. Write expressions with rational exponents as radicals and vice versa. (M9AL- llf -1).
Expectations
This SLeM is designed so that you will have a better understanding of the concepts of
rational exponents. Specifically, you are expected to:
1. illustrate expressions with rational exponents;
2. use the laws of exponents to simplify expressions with rational exponents; and
3. rewrite expressions with rational exponents as radicals and vice versa.

PRE-TEST
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1
1. Which is the simplest form of (16𝑥 2 )2 ?
a. 4x b. 4x2 c. 16x d. 16x2
1 3
2. Simplify the expression ( 𝑦 𝑦 )16 .
4 8

a. y8 b. y10 c. y12 d. y14

1 2 3 4 5
3. What is the simplest form of (25 ) (25 )(25 )(25 ) (25 ) ?
a. 8 b. 16 c. 32 d. 64
4. Which of the following is true?
4
1 1 2 1 3 1 −2
3 53 1
a. 5 +53 3 =5
3 b. (𝑥 ) 4 =𝑥 4 c. 2 = 53 d. 73 = 3
53 72
3
5. Which radical form is equal to 25 ?
3 3 5 2
a. √25 b. √52 c. √23 d. √53
3
6. Change the expression (𝑥𝑦)2 into radical form.
3 3
a. √𝑥𝑦 2 b. √𝑥𝑦 3 c. √(𝑥𝑦)2 d. √(𝑥𝑦)3
5
7. Which of the following radical form is equivalent to 3𝑥 4 ?
4 5 5 4
a. 3 √𝑥 5 b. 3 √𝑥 4 c. √3𝑥 4 d. √3𝑥 5
8. √2𝑥 can be written in rational form as __________.
1 1 1
a. 2x b. 2(𝑥)2 c. 2𝑥 2 d. (2𝑥)2
4 3
9. Change √(5𝑥) to rational exponents.
3 4 3 4
a. 5𝑥 4 b. 5𝑥 3 c. (5𝑥) 4 d. (5𝑥) 3
10. Which of the following is true?
5 5 5 2
3 5 3
a. √7𝑦 5 = (7𝑦)2 b. 4√𝑦 5 = 4𝑦 3 c. √𝑥 3 = 𝑦 3 d. 5√𝑥 2 = (5𝑥)3

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LESSON 1 – SIМPLIFYING EXPRESSIONS WITH RATIONAL
EXPONENTS

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON

Match Column A with Column B. Choose the letter of the correct answer.

Column A Column B
1
1. (x2)4 a.
𝑥5

2. x4 x5 b. x8

𝑥9 1
3. c.
𝑥3 𝑥7

4. x3 x-8 d. x6

𝑥2
5. e. x9
𝑥9

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Consider the expressions below: 3
1 3 −3
𝑎4
1
(25)2 (𝑦 2 ) 4 𝑎4
What have you observed about the exponents of the expressions?
As you can see, the exponents of the given expressions are fractions. These
expressions are called expressions with rational exponents.
𝒎
An expression with rational exponent is written in the form 𝒙 𝒏 , where x is the base
𝒎
and is the exponent. This expression is equivalent to the nth root of x raised to the power
𝒏
𝑛
of m or √𝑥 𝑚 . Thus,
𝑚
𝑛
𝑥 𝑛 = √𝑥 𝑚 .
𝑛
In the expression √𝑥 𝑚 , 𝒙𝒎 is the radicand and n is the index.

Let us consider these examples:

4 6 10
x2 x3 = x2+3 = x5 is the same as 𝑥 2 𝑥 2 = 𝑥 2 = x5
10
10 6 4
x5 x2 −
= x5 – 3 = x2 is the same as 6 =x2 2 = x 2 = x2
x3
x2

Based on the given examples, the laws of integral exponents work the same way for
rational exponents.

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Illustrative Examples
A. Simplify the following:
1
1. (25)2 = √25 = 5
1
3
2. (27) 3 = √27 = 3
1
4
3. (16) 4 = √16 = 2

B. Simplify the following expressions by applying the laws of integral exponents:

1 4 1 4 5
0
1. b3  b3 = b 3 + 3 = b3 1

1 1 1 6. (x ) , where 𝑥  0
3

2. (xy) 4 = x y 4 4
1 0
1
4 2 4(1) 4 2 (x 3 ) =1
3. (7 ) 3 = 7 3(2) = 7 =7 6 3
−2
7 1
b5 7 4
−
3 7. x 3 = 2
4. 4 = b 5 5 =b 5 x3
b5
3 3
x 4 x4
5. ( ) = 3
y
y4

ACTIVITIES
“What is the common denominator in politics?”
Decode the answer to this question by simplifying the given expressions below. Cross
out the item with the correct answer. Then, write the remaining letters inside the boxes.
1 1
1. 492 5. (366 )3
1 1
2. 643 6. (16−3 )6
5
2 4
x3
3. (𝑦 6 )3 7. 1 = x3
x3
3 2 1
4. (𝑥 5 )(𝑥 3 ) 8. (81𝑥 −8 𝑦12 )4
Decoder:
P
T N R
𝟐𝟕𝒚𝟑
𝒚𝟒 6 𝒚𝟏𝟐
𝒙𝟔
O A M L
𝟐 𝟒
𝒙𝟓 7 8 𝒙𝟑
C S
I W
𝟏 𝟐 𝟑 𝟏
5𝒙 𝒚 4 −
𝟒 𝟒
D G
E S
𝟏𝟗 𝟑𝒚𝟑
𝒙𝟏𝟓 36 16
𝒙𝟐

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REMEMBER ME
𝑚
An expression with rational exponent is written in the form 𝑥 𝑛 , where x is the ____ and
𝒎
is the _______. This expression is equivalent to the nth root of x raised to the power of m
𝒏
𝑛
or √𝑥 𝑚 . Thus,
𝑚
𝑛
𝑥 𝑛 = √𝑥 𝑚 .
𝑛
In the expression √𝑥 𝑚 , 𝒙𝒎 is the _______ and n is the _______.

CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Simplify the following and express your answers with positive exponents.
1
1. 812
1
2. (27−2 )6
2 4
3. (𝑐 9 ) ( 𝑐 3 )
7
x4
4. 5
x4
1
5. (16𝑥 −4 𝑦 4 )2

Lesson 2 – Writing Expressions with Rational Exponents to

Radicals and Vice Versa
LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON
A. Simplify the following expressions:
2
1 2 1
𝑥3
1. (3 2 )( 3 3 ) 2. (𝑎12 𝑏 4 𝑐 0 )4 3. ( 1 )15
𝑦5
7
𝑛2 6 5
4. 3 5. (𝑥 5 )3
𝑛2

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Consider this statement,

𝐦
𝐧 𝐧
𝐱𝐧 = √𝐱 𝐦 = ( √𝐱)m

The base of the expression with rational exponent is also the base of the radicand when
written in radical form. The denominator of the rational exponent becomes the index (root) of
the radical. The numerator of the rational exponent becomes the power (exponent) of the base
x or the power of the entire radical.

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 2
3
The expression 𝑥 3 can be written in the radical form as √𝑥 2 . This is read as “cube root
𝟑
of x squared”. In √𝒙𝟐 , the symbol “√ “ is called the radical sign, x2 is the radicand, 2 is the
3
power or exponent of the base x, and 3 is the index. The entire expression, √𝑥 2 , is called a
radical expression.

Illustrative Examples
Rewrite each of the following into a radical expression.
3
4
1. 𝑥4 = √𝑥 3
5
2. (−𝑎𝑏)2 = √(−𝑎𝑏)5
2
3
3. 𝑥𝑦 3 = 𝑥 √𝑦 2

How about changing radicals into expression with rational exponents?

Again, let us consider this:
𝐦
𝐧
√𝐱 𝐦 = 𝐱 𝐧

Observe that the base of the radicand is also the base of the expression with rational
exponents. The index of the radical becomes the denominator of the expression with rational
exponents and the power or exponent of the radicand becomes the numerator of the
expression with rational exponents.

Illustrative Examples
Rewrite each of the following into expressions with rational exponents.
3
1. √𝑥 3 = 𝑥2
1
3
2. √𝑥𝑦 5 = (𝑥𝑦 5 )3
7
3
3. 𝑥 √𝑦 7 = 𝑥𝑦 3

ACTIVITIES
A. Who is the father of Italian literature and the author of The Divine Comedy?
______ ______ ______ ______ ______
1 2 3 4 5
To answer the question, match the expressions in Column A with their equivalent forms
in Column B. Then write the letter of the correct answer on the space provided above.
Column B
Column A
8
4 T √24 𝑥 6
1. √𝑠 3
3
2. √𝑛 D 𝑠4
3 1
3. (𝑥𝑦)4 A 𝑛2
1 4
4. (24 𝑥 6 )8 N √(𝑥𝑦)3
3 C 𝑛2
5. √8𝑥 8
1
E (8𝑥 8 )3

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B. Change the expressions with rational exponents to radicals and vice-versa.
5
1. 𝑥2 4.
4
√𝑥𝑦 7
3
2. (𝑥𝑦) 4
3
1 5. 𝑥 √𝑦 2
3. 𝑥𝑦 2

REMEMBER ME
Changing expressions with rational exponents to radicals:
𝐦
𝐧 𝐧
𝐱 𝐧 = √𝐱 𝐦 = ( √𝐱)m
Changing radicals to expressions with rational exponents:
𝐦
𝐧
√𝐱 𝐦 = 𝐱𝐧

CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Complete the table below by transforming the given radicals to expressions with
rational exponents and vice versa.

Radicals Expressions with rational exponents

4
1. 𝑥5
4
2. √𝑥𝑦 3
3
3. √27𝑥 7
4. 1
𝑥𝑦 3
3
5. 𝑥 √𝑦 5

References
• Oronce, O and Mendoza M (2011). E – Math II Intermediate Algebra (Revised Edition).
Rex Bookstore, Inc., Manila, Philippines
• Dilao, S., et al. (2005). Algebra II Functional Approach. Vibal Publishing House, Inc.,
Quezon City, Philippines

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• https://www.anderson5.net/cms/lib02/SC01001931/Centricity/Domain/2147/
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