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Edexcel IGCSE Maths Your notes

Powers, Roots & Standard Form

Contents
Powers, Roots & Indices
Standard Form

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Powers, Roots & Indices

Your notes
Powers & Roots
What are powers/indices?
Powers of a number is when that number is multiplied by itself repeatedly
51 means 5
52 means 5 × 5
53 means 5 × 5 × 5
Therefore the powers of 5 are 5, 25, 125, etc
The big number on the bottom is sometimes called the base number
The small number that is raised is called the index or the exponent
Any non-zero number to the power of 0 is equal to 1
50 = 1
What are roots?
Roots of a number are the opposite of powers
A square root of 25 is a number that when squared equals 25
The two square roots are 5 and -5
Every positive number has two square roots
They will have the same digits but one is positive and one is negative
The notation refers to the positive square root of a number
25 = 5
You can show both roots at once using the plus or minus symbol ±
Square roots of 25 are ± 25 = ± 5
The square root of a negative number is not a real number
1
1
The positive square root can be written as an index of so 25 2 = 5
2
A cube root of 125 is a number that when cubed equals 125
A cube root of 125 is 5
Every positive and negative number always has a cube root
The notation 3 refers to the cube root of a number
3
125 = 5
1
1
The cube root can be written as an index of so 125 3 = 5
3
A nth root of a number (n )is a number that when raised to the power n equals the original number
If n is even then they work the same way as square roots
Every positive number will have a positive and negative nth root

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The notation n refers to the positive nth root of a number

If n is odd then they work the same way as cube roots
Your notes
Every positive and negative number will have an nth root
1
The nth root can be written as an index of
n
If you know your powers of numbers then you can use them to find roots of numbers
e.g. 25 = 32 means 5 32 = 2
1
You could write this using an index 32 5 =2
You can also estimate roots by finding the closest powers
e.g. 23 = 8 and 33 = 27 therefore 2 < 3 20 < 3

What are reciprocals?

The reciprocal of a number is the number that you multiply it by to get 1
1
The reciprocal of 2 is
2
1
The reciprocal of 0.25 or is 4
4
3 2
The reciprocal of is
2 3
The reciprocal of a number can be written as a power with an index of -1
5-1 means the reciprocal of 5
This idea can be extended to other negative indices
5-2 means the reciprocal of 52

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Laws of Indices
What are the laws of indices? Your notes
There are lots of very important laws (or rules)
It is important that you know and can apply these
Understanding the explanations will help you remember them
Law Description Why
a1 = a anything to the power 1 is itself 61 = 6
43 × 42
to multiply indices with the same
am × an = am +n = (4 × 4 × 4) × (4 × 4)
base, add their powers
= 45
75 ÷ 73
am m − n to divide indices with the same
7×7×7×7×7
am ÷ an = = a base, subtract their powers =
an 7×7×7
= 72
( 143) 2
to raise indices to a new power,
( a m ) n = a mn multiply their powers
= ( 14 × 14 × 14) × ( 14 × 14 × 14)
= 146
80
= 82 − 2 = 82 ÷ 82
a0 = 1 anything to the power 0 is 1
82
= 2 =1
8
11−3
1 a negative power is "1 over" the = 110 − 3 = 110 ÷ 113
a −n = positive power
an 110 1
= =
113 113
⎛⎜ 1 ⎞⎟2 1
×2

1
⎝5 2 ⎠ = 5 2 = 51 = 5
a power of an nth is an nth root 1
a =n
n a
so 52 = 5

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a fractional power of m over n

means either
Your notes
- do the the nth root first, then raise
3 1 ⎛⎜ 1 ⎞⎟3
it to the power m ×3
m 92 =9 2 = 92 =(⎝ ⎠ 9 )3
a n = (n a ) m = n a m or 3 1 1
3×
- raise it to the power m, then take or 92 =9 2 = (9 3 ) 2 = 93
the nth root
(depending on what's easier)

⎞⎟3 ⎛⎜ 5
⎟ ⎜
⎠ ⎝6
a power outside a fraction applies 5 5 5
⎛⎜ a ⎞⎟n a n
⎜ ⎟ = n to both the numerator and the = × ×
⎝b ⎠ b denominator 6 6 6
53
= 3
6
⎛⎜ 5 ⎟⎞ −2 1 ⎛ 5 ⎞2 52
⎜ ⎟ = = 1 ÷ ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = 1 ÷ 2
⎛⎜ a ⎞⎟ −n ⎛⎜ b ⎞⎟n b n flipping the fraction inside ⎝6 ⎠ ⎛⎜ 5 ⎞⎟ 2
⎝6 ⎠ 6
⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟ =⎜ ⎟ = n changes a negative power into a ⎝6 ⎠
⎝b ⎠ ⎝a ⎠ a positive power 6 2 62 ⎛ 6 ⎞ 2
= 1 × 2 = 2 = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
5 5 ⎝5 ⎠

How do I apply more than one of the laws of indices?

Powers can include negatives and fractions
These can be dealt with in any order
However the following order is easiest as it avoids large numbers
If there is a negative sign in the power then deal with that first
Take the reciprocal of the base number
2 2
⎛⎜ 8 ⎞⎟ − 3 ⎛⎜ 27 ⎞⎟ 3
⎜ ⎟ =⎜ ⎟
⎝ 27 ⎠ ⎝ 8 ⎠
Next deal with the denominator of the fraction of the power
Take the root of the base number
2
⎛⎜ 27 ⎞⎟ 3 ⎛⎜ 3
27 ⎞⎟2 ⎛⎜ 3 ⎞⎟2
⎜ ⎟ = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 8 ⎠ ⎝
3
8 ⎠ ⎝2 ⎠
Finally deal with the numerator of the fraction of the power
Take the power of the base number

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⎛⎜ 3 ⎞⎟2 32 9
⎜ ⎟ = 2=
⎝2 ⎠ 2 4 Your notes
How do I deal with different bases?
Sometimes expressions involve different base values
You can use index laws to change the base of a term to simplify an expression involving terms with
different bases
For example 94 = (32) 4 = 32 × 4 = 38
Using the above can then help with problems like 94 ÷ 37 = 38 ÷ 37 = 38 − 7 = 31 = 3

Exam Tip
Index laws only work with terms that have the same base, so something like 23 × 52 cannot be
simplified using index laws

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Worked example
Your notes
73 × 72 1
(a) Without using a calculator, write in the form where k is a positive whole number.
78 7k
Use on the numerator.

Use

Use .

The value of k is 3.

3
⎛ 4 ⎞⎟ − 2
(b) Without using a calculator, simplify ⎜⎜ ⎟ .
⎝ 25 ⎠
Flip the fraction to change the negative outside power into a positive outside power,

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Your notes

Use that a power outside a fraction applies to both the numerator and denominator, .

Use that a fractional power of m over n is the nth root all to the power m, .

and

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Standard Form
Your notes
Converting To & From Standard Form
What is standard form?
Standard Form (sometimes called Standard Index Form) is a way of writing very big and very small
numbers using powers of 10
Why do we use standard form?
Writing big (and small) numbers in Standard Form allows us to:
write them more neatly
compare them more easily
and it makes things easier when doing calculations
How do we use standard form?
Using Standard Form numbers are always written in the form:

a × 10n
The rules:
1 ≤ a < 10 so there is one non-zero digit before the decimal point
n > 0 for LARGE numbers – how many times a is multiplied by 10
n < 0 for SMALL numbers – how many times a is divided by 10
Do calculations on a calculator (if allowed)

Worked example
Without a calculator, write 0 . 007052 in standard form.

Standard form will be written as a × 10n. Ignore the place value and find the leading non-zero digit. Use
this to find the value of a.
a = 7.052
The original number is smaller than 1 so n will be negative. Count how many times you need to divide a
by 10 to get the original number.
0.007052 = 7.052 ÷ 10 ÷ 10 ÷ 10
Therefore n = -3.
0.007052 = 7.052 × 10-3

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Operations with Standard Form

How do I multiply or divide two numbers in standard form? Your notes
If you can, use a calculator!
Otherwise multiply/divide the number parts first
If this answer is less than 1 or 10 or more then you will need to write it in standard form again
e.g. 4 × 5 = 20 = 2 × 101 or 2 ÷ 4 = 0.5 = 5 × 10-1
Then multiply/divide the powers of 10 using the laws of indices
Multiply the two parts together to get your answer in standard form
You might have to use the laws of indices one more
e.g. 4 × 102 × 5 × 107= 2 × 101 × 109 = 2 × 1010
How do I add or subtract two numbers in standard form?
If you can, use a calculator!
If the two numbers have the same power of 10 then you can simply add/subtract the number parts
If the answer is less than 1 or 10 or more then you will have to rewrite in standard form
e.g. 7 × 105 - 6.2 × 105 = 0.8 × 105 = 8 × 10-1 × 105 = 8 × 104
Otherwise convert both numbers so that they have the same power of 10 (choosing the larger power)
e.g. 7 × 105 + 6 × 104 = 7 × 105 + 0.6 × 105 = 7.6 × 105
If the powers of 10 are small then you might find it easier to convert both numbers to ordinary numbers
before adding/subtracting
You can convert your answer back to standard form if needed
How do I find powers or roots of a number in standard form?
If you can, use a calculator!
As standard form is two terms multiplied together you can split the power or root up
( a × 10n ) k = a k × ( 10n ) k = a k × 10nk
n
k k
a × 10n = k a× 10n = k a × 10 k
Check to see whether you have to write your final answer in standard form

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Worked example
Your notes
(a) Without using a calculator, multiply 5 × 1018 by 7 × 10−4 .
Give your answer in standard form.
Separate into numbers and powers of 10.

Multiply the integers together.

Use the laws of indices on the powers of 10.

Adjust the first number, , such that .

Write in standard form.

1 . 275 × 106
(b) Use your calculator to find .
3 . 4 × 10−2
Write your answer in the form A × 10n , where 1 ≤ A < 10 and n is an integer.

Input the calculation into your calculator.

The result may or may not be in standard form.
Copy the digits, especially those zeros, carefully!

Re-write in standard form.

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