Find the value of each variable that makes the equation true. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
1.3
Activity
Use exponent rules to write each expression as a single power of 2. Find the value of the expression. Record these in the table. The first row is done for you.
Discuss with your partner any patterns you notice that show a relationship between the middle and right columns.
expression
power of 2
value
16
What is the value of ?
What is the value of ?
What is the value of ?
1.4
Activity
Sort the expressions into groups so that each group has the same value. Some expressions may not have a match, and some may have more than one match. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
Student Lesson Summary
Exponent rules help us keep track of a base’s repeated factors. Negative exponents help us keep track of repeated factors that are the reciprocal of the base. We can define a number to the power of 0 to have a value of 1. These rules can be written symbolically as:
Here, the base can be any positive number, and the exponents and can be any integer.
