INDICES

INDICES

Laws of Indices

Multiplication law am  an = am + n (Law 1)

Division law am  an = am − n (Law 2)

Power law (a ) m n
= a mn = a mn (Law 3)

( ab ) = a n  b n = a nb n
n
(Law 4)
n
a an
Fractional base   = (Law 5)
b bn

 a mb n  ( a b )
x m n x
a mxb nx
*  cy  = = ( c  0)
(c y )
x
  c yx

1
Negative index a−m = (Law 6)
am
−n n
a b
Fractional base   =  (Law 7)
b a
Zero power a0 = 1 (Law 8)
1
Fractional index a n
=na (Law 9)

( )
m m
a n
= n
a = n am (Law 10)

Proof of laws of Indices

am  an = am + n
𝑎3 × 𝑎4 = (𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎) × (𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎)
= 𝑎×𝑎×𝑎×𝑎×𝑎×𝑎×𝑎
= 𝑎7

am  an = am − n
 𝑎5 𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎 × 𝑎
𝑎5 ÷ 𝑎2 = =
𝑎3 𝑎×𝑎×𝑎
=𝑎×𝑎
= 𝑎2

4 common cases involved in Indices

Indices involving linear equations

Indices involving quadratic equations

Indices involving simultaneous equations

Direct simplification
Eg 1
3 1 1 1 1 1
4 −2 = 3 = = = =
1 3 3 23 8
42 (42 ) (√4)

Eg 2
2 1 2 3 2
643 = (643 ) = ( √64) = 42 = 16

Eg 3
0.0013 = (10−3 )3 = 10−3×3 = 10−9

Eg 4
140 = 1

Eg 5
3 1 3 3
251.5 = 252 = (252) = (√25) = 53 = 125

Eg 6
23 𝑎2 𝑏−2 × 4𝑎𝑏5 23 𝑎2 𝑏−2 × 22 𝑎𝑏5
=
2−4 𝑏2 2−4 𝑏2
= 23+2−(−4) 𝑎2+1𝑏−2+5−2
= 2 9 𝑎 3 𝑏1
= 512𝑎3 𝑏

Eg 7
1 1 1 1 1 1
273 × 643 ÷ 814 = (33 )3 × (43 )3 ÷ (34 )4
1 1 1
× ×
= 33× 3 × 43 3 ÷ 34 4

= 3×4÷3
= 4

Indices involving linear equations

 There are more than one ways to solve indices problems as long as you are

applying their respective laws and your steps are mathematically correct.

 When the unknown variable lies in the power, make the base to be the same and

equate the powers.

 When the unknown variable lies in the base, make the powers to be the same

and equate the base.

Eg 1
2𝑥 = 4
2 𝑥 = 22
Since the base are the same, we equate the powers
∴ 𝑥=2

Eg 2
32𝑥 = 27
32𝑥 = 33
Since the base are the same, we equate the powers
2𝑥 = 3
 3
𝑥=
2

Eg 3
3(3)𝑥 = 27
31+𝑥 = 33
Since the base are the same, we equate the powers
1+𝑥 =3
𝑥=2

Eg 4
9 𝑥 3
( ) =
25 5
𝑥
32 3
( 2) =
5 5
3 2𝑥 3 1
( ) =( )
5 5
Since the base are the same, we equate the powers
2𝑥 = 1
1
𝑥=
2

Eg 5
(0.25)𝑥+1 = 16
1 𝑥+1
( ) = 42
4
(4−1 )𝑥+1 = 42
4−1(𝑥+1) = 42
Since the base are the same, we equate the powers
−1(𝑥 + 1) = 2
−𝑥 − 1 = 2
𝑥 = −3

Eg 6
(𝑥 + 1)5 = 243
(𝑥 + 1)5 = 35
Since the powers are the same, we equate the base
∴ 𝑥+1 =3
𝑥=2

Eg 7
272𝑥−1
=1
9𝑥
33(2𝑥−1)
= 30
32𝑥
33(2𝑥−1)−2𝑥 = 30
Since the base are the same, we equate the powers
3(2𝑥 − 1) − 2𝑥 = 0
6𝑥 − 3 − 2𝑥 = 0
4𝑥 = 3
3
𝑥=
4

Exercises
Find the value of x in each case
3
a) 𝑥 2 = 64
1 2𝑥
b) ( 3) = 27

1 3𝑥−1 1 5
c) ( 4) = ( 8)

d) 10−𝑥 = 0.000001
1
e) 𝑥 −2 = 4
f) 52𝑥+1 = 125
g) 2𝑥 = 0.125
4
h) = 64𝑥
2𝑥

i) (𝑥 + 1)7 = 128
1
j) 9𝑥
= 272𝑥−1
Indices involving quadratic equations
Eg 1
2
3𝑥 × 3𝑥 = 910
2 +𝑥
3𝑥 = 32(10)
2 +𝑥
3𝑥 = 320
𝑥 2 + 𝑥 = 20
𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 20 = 0
(𝑥 − 4)(𝑥 + 5) = 0
𝑥 = 4 𝑜𝑟 𝑥 = −5

Eg 2
52𝑥 − 26(5𝑥 ) + 25 = 0
(5𝑥 )2 − 26(5𝑥 ) + 25 = 0
Let 𝑝 = 5𝑥
𝑝2 − 26𝑝 + 25 = 0
(𝑝 − 1)(𝑝 − 25) = 0
𝑝 = 1 𝑜𝑟 𝑝 = 25
Recall; 5𝑥 = 𝑝

When p = 1
5𝑥 = 1
5 𝑥 = 50
∴ 𝑥=0
When p = 25
5𝑥 = 25
5 𝑥 = 52
∴ 𝑥=2

Eg 3
52𝑥+1 − 26(5𝑥 ) + 25 = 0
52𝑥 × 5 − 26(5𝑥 ) + 25 = 0
5(5𝑥 )2 − 26(5𝑥 ) + 25 = 0
Let 𝑝 = 5𝑥
5𝑝2 − 26𝑝 + 25 = 0
(5𝑝 − 1)(𝑝 − 5) = 0
1
𝑝= 𝑜𝑟 𝑝 = 5
5
Recall; 5𝑥 = 𝑝
𝟏
When 𝒑 = 𝟓

1
5𝑥 =
5
5𝑥 = 5−1
∴ 𝑥 = −1
When p = 5
5𝑥 = 5
5𝑥 = 51
∴ 𝑥=1

Exercises
a) 32𝑥 + 2(3𝑥 ) − 3 = 0
b) 22𝑥 + 2𝑥+1 − 8 = 0
c) 32𝑥 − 4(3𝑥+1 ) + 27 = 0
d) 52𝑥 + 4(5𝑥+1 ) − 125 = 0
e) 72𝑥 − 2 × 7 𝑥 + 1 = 0
f) 32𝑥 − 9 = 0

Indices involving simultaneous equations

Solution
5𝑥 × 52𝑦 = 57 ⟹ 𝑥 + 2𝑦 = 7
3𝑥−2𝑦 = 33 ⟹ 𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 3
𝑥 + 2𝑦 = 7 ……………………. (1)

𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 3 ……………………. (2)
4𝑦 = 4
∴ 𝑦= 1
From eqn (1)
𝑥 + 2𝑦 = 7
𝑥 = 7 − 2𝑦
𝑥 = 7 − 2(1)
𝑥=5

Exercise
23𝑥 ÷ 2 𝑦 = 211
74𝑥 × 7 𝑦 = 717