Exponents Discovery

Monday, October 07, 2013 10:53 AM

PART #1: In the duration of this activity, I learned more about the basics of exponents than I ever thought I would. I learned that th e base of a power is the factor being multiplied, and a power indicates repeated multiplication of the same factor. I learned that an exponent tells me that the base multiplies itself by the number the power is. For example, if I had 2^4, it would be 2x2x2x2, totaling out to be 16. I learned that a power is a shortcut to seeing how many times you multiply the base by. I also learne d that I could use geometry to describe or cube a number. For example, you could use a grid, and if the number was 5^2, I would do the operation 5x5 to figure it out. I took a lot from this activity, and I truly feel like I understand exponents more than I d id just a few days ago.

What is a base? The base is the factor being multiplied. What is a power? A power indicates repeated multiplication of the same factor. What does an exponent tell you to do? An exponent tells you that the base multiplies itself by the number the power is. What is a power a shortcut to? How many times you multiply the base by. How could you use geometry to describe squaring or cubing a number? You could square a cube, since the rule for that is multiplying the length and width together. Lets say your numbers are 3^3 - we know that would equal 9. This is essentially another way of saying 3x3.

PART #2:
Base 2 2 2 2
2 2

Exponent Meaning Value 4 3 2 1

0 -1

2x2x2x2 16 2x2x2 2x2 2x1

2 1/2

8 4 2
1 1/2

2 2 2

-2 -3 -4

0.5 / 2 0.25 / 2

1/4 1/8

0.125 / 2 1/16

Start with 2 to the first power. As you increase the exponent, what is operation happening to the base? The base is multiplying itself however many times the exponent says to. So, the operation is multiplication.

Starting with the exponent of 4, as you decrease each exponent, what operation is happening to the base? It is still multiplication, but it's multiplying itself less and less every time.
Double check your table. Does the pattern work from 2^-4 to 2^4 as the exponent increases each time? Yes.

Does the pattern work from 2^4 to 2^-4 as the exponent decreases each time? Yes. PART #3:
1. What do you get when you add x and x? You get 2x, because x usually stands for 1x. 1x + 1x would obviously = 2x. 2. What do you get when you subtract x from x? You would get 0, because 1x -1x = 0.

Introduction to Exponents Page 1

You would get 0, because 1x -1x = 0.

3. What do you get when you multiply x by x? You would get x^2, because that is the same as saying x+x.
4. What do you get when you divide x by x? You would get 1. 1. What do you get when you multiply x by x by x? You get x^3.

2. What about x by x by x by x by x? You would get x^5, because 1+1+1+1+1=5. 3. What do you get when you multiply x^2 by x? You would get x*x*x to equal x^3. This is the same as adding 2+1.

What about when you multiply x^2 by x^3?

4. What about when you multiply x^4 by x^6?

5. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you multiply same bases. When someone multiplies the same bases, you have to add the exponent numbers together to get the answer.
6. What about when you multiply x^4 by x^2?

7. What do you get when you divide x^5 by x^3? 8. What about when you divide x^6 by x?
9. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you divide same bases. When someone must divide same bases, you subtract the first exponent by the second.

10. What do you get when you square x^3?

11. What do you get when you square x^4?

12. What do you get when you cube x^2?

13. What do you get when you raise x^3 to the fourth power?
14. What do you get when you raise x^2 to the fifth power? 15. Come up with a rule that explains what happens when you raise a base with an exponent by an exponent. The number in the exponents represents how many times you want the base to multiply itself.

Introduction to Exponents Page 2