Chapter 1

Prerequisites
1.2 Exponents and Scientific Notation

Verbal
1. Is 23 the same as 32 ? Explain.
No, the two expressions are not the same. An exponent tells how many times you
multiply the base. So 23 is the same as 2 × 2 × 2 , which is 8. 32 is the same as 3 × 3 ,
which is 9.
2. When can you add two exponents?
You can add two exponents when the bases are the same and the expressions are being
multiplied.
3. What is the purpose of scientific notation?
It is a method of writing very small and very large numbers.
4. Explain what a negative exponent does.
A negative exponent switches a numerator to a denominator or a denominator to a
numerator. It is the number of times you multiply 1 over the base.

Numeric
For the following exercises, simplify the given expression. Write answers with positive
exponents.
5. 92
9⋅9
81
6. 15−2
1
152
1
15 ⋅15
1
225
7. 32 × 33
(3 ⋅ 3) × (3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3)
9 × 27
243
8. 44 ÷ 4
(4 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 4) ÷ 4
256 ÷ 4
64
9. (2 ) 2 −2

1
(2 ) 2 2

1
42
1
16
10. (5 − 8)
0

( −3) 0
1
11. 113 ÷114
(11⋅11⋅11) ÷ (11⋅11⋅11⋅11)
1
11
12. 65 × 6−7
1
(6 ⋅ 6 ⋅ 6 ⋅ 6 ⋅ 6) ×
6⋅6⋅6⋅6⋅6⋅6⋅6
1
36

( )
2
13. 80

12
1
14. 5−2 ÷ 52
1
÷ (5 ⋅ 5)
5⋅5
1 1
×
25 25
1
625
For the following exercises, write each expression with a single base. Do not simplify further.
Write answers with positive exponents.

15. 42 × 43 ÷ 4−4
45 ÷ 4−4
1
45 ÷
44
45 × 4 4
49
612
16. 9
6
612−9
63

( )
10
17. 123 ×12

(12 )
10
4

12 40

( )
−2
18. 106 ÷ 1010
1
106 ÷
(10 )
2
10

1
106 ÷
1020
106 ×1020
1026
19. 7−6 × 7−3
7 −6+−3
7 −9
1
79

( )
5
20. 33 ÷ 34
 (3 )
5
3− 4

(3 )
5
−1

3−5
1
35

For the following exercises, express the decimal in scientific notation.

For the following exercises, convert each number in scientific notation to standard notation.
23. 1.6 ×1010
16,000,000,000
24. 9.8 ×10−9
0.0000000098

Algebraic
For the following exercises, simplify the given expression. Write answers with positive
exponents.
a3a 2
25.
a
5
a
a
a 5 −1
a4
mn 2
26.
m−2
m1−( −2) n 2
m3 n 2

( )
2
27. b3c 4

b 6 c8
 −5
⎛ x −3 ⎞
28. ⎜ 2 ⎟
⎝ y ⎠
−5
⎛ 1 ⎞
⎜ 3 2⎟
⎝x y ⎠
(x y )
5
3 2

x15 y10
29. ab 2 ÷ d −3
1
ab 2 ÷ 3
d
ab × d 3
2

ab 2 d 3

( )
−1
30. w0 x5
1
0 5
wx
1
x5
m4
31. 0
n
m4
1
m4

( )
2
32. y −4 y 2
1 4
(y )
y4
1
p −4 q 2
33. 2 −3
pq
p −4− 2 q 2−( −3)
p −6 q 5
q5
p6
34. (l × w)
2

l 2 w2
 ( )
3
35. y 7 ÷ x14
y 21 ÷ x14
y 21
x14
2
⎛ a⎞
36. ⎜ 3 ⎟
⎝2 ⎠
a2
82
a2
64
37. 52 m ÷ 50 m
25m ÷ m
25m
m
25

(16 x )
2

38.
y −1
256 x
1
y
256 xy
23
39.
( 3a )
−2

8
1
(3a ) 2
8 ⋅ 9a 2
72a 2
1
40. ( ma 6 )
2

m a23
 1
m 2 a12
m a2 3

m 2 −3 a12 − 2
m −1a10
a10
m

( )
3
41. b−3c
3
⎛ c ⎞
⎜ 3⎟
⎝b ⎠
c3
b9

( )
2
42. x 2 y13 ÷ y 0

( x y ÷1)
2
2 13

(x y )
2
2 13

x 4 y 26

( )
−2
43. 9z 3 y
y
(9 z )
2
3

y
81z 6

Real-World Applications
44. To reach escape velocity, a rocket must travel 2.2 ×106 feet per minute. Write the rate in
standard notation.
22,000,000 feet per minute
45. A dime is the thinnest coin in U.S. currency. A dime’s thickness measures 1.35 ×10−3
meters. Write the number in standard notation.
0.00135 meter
46. The distance between Earth and the Sun (on average) is 92,960,000 miles. Rewrite the
distance using scientific notation.
9.2960 ×107 miles
47. A terabyte is made of approximately 1,099,500,000,000 bytes. Rewrite in scientific
notation.
1.0995 ×1012
 48. The Gross Domestic Product for the United States in the first quarter of 2014 was
$1.71496 ×1013. Rewrite GDP in standard notation.
$17,149,600,000,000
49. One picometer is approximately 3.397 ×10−11 inches. Rewrite the number of inches in a
picometer using standard notation.
0.00000000003397 inches
50. The value of the services sector of the U.S. economy in the first quarter of 2012 was
$10,633.6 billion. Rewrite this amount in scientific notation.
$ 1.06336 ×1013

Technology
For the following exercises, use a graphing calculator to simplify. Round the answers to the
nearest hundredth.
2
⎛ 123 m33 ⎞
51. ⎜ −3 ⎟
⎝ 4 ⎠
12,230,590,464 m 66
52. 173 ÷152 x3
4913
225x 3

Extensions
For the following exercises, simplify the given expression. Write answers with positive
exponents.
−2 2
⎛ 32 ⎞ ⎛ a 4 ⎞
53. ⎜ 3 ⎟ ⎜ 2 ⎟
⎝a ⎠ ⎝2 ⎠
2
⎛ a 3 ⎞ ⎛ a8 ⎞
⎜ ⎟ ⎜ 2⎟
⎝ 9 ⎠ ⎝4 ⎠
⎛ a 6 ⎞⎛ a8 ⎞
⎜ ⎟⎜ ⎟
⎝ 81 ⎠⎝ 16 ⎠
a14
1296
 −5
⎛x⎞
( )
2
54. 6 − 24 ÷ ⎜ ⎟
2

⎝ y⎠
⎛ y5 ⎞
(36 − 24 ) ÷ ⎜ 5 ⎟
2

⎝x ⎠
x5
122 ×
y5
144 x5
y5
m2 n3 a −7 n−2
55. ⋅
a 2c −3 m2c 4
m 2− 2 n3− 2 a −7 − 2
c −3+ 4
m0 na −9
c
n
a9c
10
⎛ x6 y 3 y −7 ⎞
56. ⎜ 3 −3 ⋅ −3 ⎟
⎝x y x ⎠
10
⎛ x 6 y 3− 7 ⎞
⎜ 3−3 −3 ⎟
⎝x y ⎠
10
⎛ x 6 y −4 ⎞
⎜ −3 ⎟
⎝ 1⋅ y ⎠
(x y )
10
6 −4 − ( −3)

(x y )
10
6 −1

x 60
y10
 2

(
⎛ ab 2 c ) ⎞
−3

57. ⎜ ⎟
⎜ b −3 ⎟
⎝ ⎠
2
⎛ a −3b −6 c −3 ⎞
⎜ −3 ⎟
⎝ b ⎠
−6 −12 −6
a b c
b −6
1
6 12 − 6 6
ab c
1
6 6 6
abc

58. Avagadro’s constant is used to calculate the number of particles in a mole. A mole is a
basic unit in chemistry to measure the amount of substance. The constant is
6.0221413 ×1023 . Write Avagadro’s constant in standard notation.
602,214,130,000,000,000,000,000
59. Planck’s constant is another important unit of measure in quantum physics. It describes
the relationship between energy and frequency. The constant is written as
6.62606957 ×10−34 . Write Planck’s constant in standard notation.
0.00000000000000000000000000000000062606957

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