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Laws of Exponents - Reference Chart LOE 1

Exponents 0 and 1
x0 = 1 These laws were discussed in the video called “Exponents in Algebra”.
The first law tell you that anything raised to the 0th power is always 1.
x1 = x The second law tells you that anything raised to the 1st power is just
itself.

Negative Exponents
1
x-n =
This important law helps us understand that negative exponents are

xn essentially repeated division. The practical application is that it lets

you re-write an expression with a negative exponent in inverse form
as 1 over the exact same expression with a positive exponent.

Taking a Power of a Power

m n
(x ) = xmn This law shows that if you have an exponential expression that is
raised to another power, you can simplify it by multiplying the two
exponents together.

Multiplying or Dividing Exponential Expressions

x x =x
m n m+n
These laws show how to simplify exponential expressions that have
the same base. The base MUST be exactly the same for these to work.

xm m-n The first law says that if the expressions are being multiplied, you can

n = x
simplify by adding the exponents.
x The second law says that if the expressions are being divided, you can
simplify by subtracting the bottom exponent from the top..

Distributing Exponents
(xy) = x y
m m m
These laws show how you can distribute (or un-distribute if
you reverse them) a common exponent to different bases.

x n xn The first law shows how distributing an exponent works with

= n variables (or expressions) that are being multiplied.

y y The second law shows how distributing an exponent works
with variables (or expressions) that are being divided.

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Calculating Integer Exponents LOE 2

Instructions: Use the first three laws you learned in the video to calculate or simplify these expressions.
Leave any fraction answers in fraction form.

1
1 81 − 50 = 8 − 1 = 7 2 (2x)-1 =
2x

3 2-3 = 4 2 + 2-1 =

5 (x + 3)0 = 6 3-2 =

7 50 + 20 − 90 = 8 4-x =

9 (x)(x-1) = 10 x0 − 12 =

1
11 40 + 4-1 = 12 =
2-1

13 5-2 = 14 (x2 + 1)1 =

15 a-b = 16 (x2)(x-2)1 =

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Simplifying a Power of a Power LOE 3

Instructions: Use the fourth law you learned in the video lesson to simplify these expressions.
(You’ll also need to use the first three laws in some of the problems.)

4 - 1
1 (x2) = x 2 ∙4 = x 8 2 (x2) 1 = -
x2( 1) = x-2 =
x2

2 3
3 (22) = 4 (a4) =

-1
5 (x-1)3 = 6 (42) =

2 -
7 (32) = 8 (x-2) 4 =

3 0
9 (y5) = 10 (8-2) =

4
((x2)3) =
-1
11 12 (7-2) =

1 5
13 = 14 (a2) =
(x-1)2

1 -1
15 (x2)2 = 16 ((x ) )
-1 -1
=

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Multiplying and Dividing Expressions with Exponents LOE 4

Instructions: Use the 5th and 6th laws you learned in the video lesson to simplify these expressions.

x2 1
1 (y )(y ) =
x 2x
y
x+2x
= y 3x
2 = x2−3 = x-1 =
x
x3

3 (32)(32) = 4 (7-5)(74) =

a7
5 = 6 x9 x2 =
a3

5y x2a
7 = 8 =
5x x-a

(x+1)3
9 (x )(x ) =
-1 -5 10 =
(x+1)2

11 b b =
-2 2
12
1 4 1 -2=
2 2

y1
13 a a =
5 3
14 =
yx

x-5
15 = 16 (a8 )(a-7) =
x-5

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Distributing and ‘Un-Distributing’ Exponents LOE 5

Instructions: Use the last two laws learned in the video to distribute the exponent.

a 4= a4
1 (2x) = 22 x2
2
= 4x 2 2
b b4

3
x 2= 4 (ab)3 =
4

5 (5y) =-2
6
2x 2=
3

7 (6ab) = 2
8
x 5=
y

Instructions: Use the last two laws learned in the video to ‘un-distribute’ the commmon exponent.

1 x4 y4 = (xy)4 2
a2 = a
2

52 5

x2 y2 z2 = x2
3 4 =
(x − 1)2

bx x-2 y-2 =
5 = 6
ax

8 y =
n n x2
7 8 =
32y2

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Laws of Exponents in Combination - Set 1 LOE 6

Instructions: Simplify these expresssions using all the laws you learned in the video lesson. Be sure to
show your work!
a − 1
2
a 4
(3x) + x
5
1 2 2 3
x 3 2 a 0
b 2

32 x2 + x5-3 a2 1
−
9x2 + x2 22 1
a2
10x 2 − 1
4

2 3 4 -2 x10 4 3 b10
4 (a ) (a ) 5 (x ) 6 (2b) − 7
3
x7 b

4 2+
7 (3x ) + (a )
2 0 -5 0 8 (x )(x )(x )
n 0 -n 9
y 3 4(y-1)6

2 − x0 b4 (a-1)-3 (b-3)1
10 11 b − 6
-2 12
(x2)3 x6 b

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Laws of Exponents in Combination - Set 2 LOE 7

Instructions: Simplify these expresssions using all the laws you learned in the video lesson. Be sure to
show your work!
3 -2
(-2x) + x x
9
1 (4a) − (a )(a )
2 3 -1 2 2 3
x 7 y -2

4
x4 + a 2
5 (x )(x ) + (x )
-n 0 n 2
6
b8 + b15 + (b2)4
x5 a3 b0 b7

y15
7 (3b + 7x )
2 -5 0 8 + (2y4)3 9 (x3)-3(x-2)-5
y 3

10
5x3 3
11
9 − x0 12 (b9)-1 b 8
5

2y2 (3x-1)2 x-2 b

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