Powers and Indices
Learn how powers work, including bases and exponents. Let’s get started! 🚀

Video Lesson
Watch and learn the basics

Flashcards
Review key concepts visually
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🛎️ What are Powers?
- Powers show repeated multiplication of the same number.
- For example, 3⁴ means 3 × 3 × 3 × 3.
🛎️ How to Read Powers
- The base is the number being multiplied.
- The power (small number at the top right) shows how many times it is multiplied.
🛎️ Important Properties of Powers
- Any number to the power of 1 equals itself (e.g. 5¹ = 5).
- Any number (except 0) to the power of 0 equals 1 (e.g. 5⁰ = 1).
🛎️ Common Powers: Squares and Cubes
- Square numbers have power 2 (e.g. 4² = 16).
- Cube numbers have power 3 (e.g. 3³ = 27).
🛎️ Simplifying Expressions with Powers
- First, group the same numbers together in multiplication.
- Then, write repeated multiplication using powers.
🛎️ Calculating with Powers
- Following BIDMAS, work out powers before multiplication.
- But if there are brackets, calculate inside the brackets first.
Practice Questions
Test your understanding
What is the result of ?
Correct! 🎉 +10 pointsNot quite right
The result of is 1. Any non-zero number raised to the power of 0 equals 1.
What is the value of ?
Correct! 🎉 +10 pointsNot quite right
The value of is 9. Any number raised to the power of 1 equals itself.
Evaluate .
Correct! 🎉 +20 pointsNot quite right
Start by calculating the exponent: . Then multiply: .
Calculate .
Correct! 🎉 +20 pointsNot quite right
First evaluate the exponent: . Then multiply: .
Evaluate .
Correct! 🎉 +20 pointsNot quite right
Calculate the exponents first: and . Then add the results: .
Simplify .
Correct! 🎉 +30 pointsNot quite right
Calculate the powers first: and . Then multiply: . Subtracting gives .
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Interactive Activity
Practice grouping factors to create exponent expressions
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