Integer Exponents

Laws of Exponents
(1) x m x n = x m + n
(2)

xm
x

= x

mn

Example: x 5 x 2 = x 7

, if m > n

x10

Examples:

= x8

1, if m = n
1

x2

, if m < n

xnm

( )n = x mn

x6

1
x4

( )3 = x 6

(3) x m

Example: x 2

(4) (xy )n = x n y n

Example: (xy )3 = x 3 y 3

x
xn
(5) =
yn
y

x
x2
Example: =
y2
y

(6) x 0 = 1 , x 0

Example: 2 x 3 y

(7) x n =

1
x

x
(8)
y

,
x

y
=
x

= xn

)0 = 1

Examples: 2 3 =

2
Example:
3

1
= ,
8
2

= x4

32 9
3
= =
=
2
22 4

Additional Examples:
(1) x 3 x 2 =

(3)

x2
x3

1
x

(2) x 3 y 2

)2 = x 6 y 4 = xy 6

(2x 2 y 3 )1 (x 3 y 4 )3 = 2 1 x 2 y 3 x 9 y 12 = y 3 x 9 y 2 = x 9 y 5 = x
22 x6 y 2
2 2 x 6 21 x 2 y12 2 3 x 8 y12 8 y 7
(2 x 3 y 1 )2
1

Practice Sheet Integer Exponents

I. Evaluate each of the following:
1

(1) 3 4 =

(4) 3 2 =

(7)

(2) ( 2) 3 =

(5) (2) 3 =

2
(8)
3

(3) (4) 4 =

3
(6) =
4

2 3

=
3

(9) (25) 0 =

II. Simplify; write answers with only positive exponents and assume that all variables are
non-zero:

( )4 =

(1) x 4 x 5 =

(9) x 3

(2) 2 3 2 7 =

(10) x 2 y 3

(3)

(4)

(5)

x8
x4
x3
x9
28
25

(12) x 2 y 3 xy 2

(13) x 2 y 2

( )5 =

(8)

)3 =

x2
=
(11)
y 3

(6) x 3

(7) x

x 4
x7

x =

(14)

(15)

(16)

)( )3 =

)3 (x 4 y 5 ) =

x 3 y 2
x4 y5

(x 2 y 3 )2
x4 y5

(2 x 2 y )2 =
(3x 1 y 4 )(xy 2 )3
2

Solution Key for Integer Exponents

I. (1) 81

(4)

1
9

(2) 8

(5)

(3) 256

(6)

II. (1) x 9

(7) 2 3 = 8
1
8

(8)

27
64

(9) 1

(9)

x12

y9

(2) 210 = 1024

(10)

(3) x 4

(11) x 4 y 6

(12) x 5 y 9

(4)

27
8

(5) 2 3 = 8

(13)

(6) x15

(14)

(7) x 2

(15)

(8) x 3

(16)

x6

x2
y11

1
x7 y3
y
x8
1
12 x 6