EXPONENTS WITH SIGNS

Concept: Exponents are used to simplify problems that call for repeated multiplication. The expression 53, for example, which is read “five to the third power” or “five cubed,” has a base of 5 and an exponent of 3.

Exponent

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5 3 = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125

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Base

The exponent tells how many times the base should appear in the multiplication problem. For example, 5 3 = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125.

An exponent can be any whole number. It can be either a positive or a negative number.

Any number with an exponent of 1 equals itself. For example, 21 = 2 and 91 = 9.

Any number (except 0) with an exponent of 0 equals 1. For example, 40 = 1 and 30 = 1.

Concept specific to Negative Exponents: Negative Exponents are useful for writing very small numbers. Any number to a negative power represents a fraction.

Examples: