Lesson 6What About Other Bases?
Learning Goal
Let’s explore exponent patterns with bases other than 10.
Learning Targets
I can use the exponent rules for bases other than 10.
Lesson Terms
- base (of an exponent)
Warm Up: True or False: Comparing Expressions with Exponents
Problem 1
Is each statement true or false? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
Activity 1: What Happens with Zero and Negative Exponents?
Problem 1
Complete the table to show what it means to have an exponent of zero or a negative exponent.
As you move toward the left, each number is being multiplied by 2. What is the multiplier as you move toward the right?
Use the patterns you found in the table to write
as a fraction. Write
as a power of 2 with a single exponent. What is the value of
? From the work you have done with negative exponents, how would you write
as a fraction? How would you write
as a fraction?
Are you ready for more?
Problem 1
Find an expression equivalent to
Problem 2
Find an expression equivalent to
Problem 3
What patterns do you notice when you start with a fraction to a negative power and rewrite it so that it has only positive powers? Show or explain your reasoning.
Activity 2: Exponent Rules with Bases Other than 10
Problem 1
Lin, Noah, Diego, and Elena decide to test each other’s knowledge of exponents with bases other than 10. They each chose an expression to start with and then came up with a new list of expressions; some of which are equivalent to the original and some of which are not.
Choose 2 of the 4 lists to analyze. For each list of expressions you choose to analyze, decide which expressions are not equivalent to the original. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
Lin’s original expression is
and her list is: Noah’s original expression is
and his list is: Diego’s original expression is
and his list is: Elena’s original expression is
and her list is: 1
0
Lesson Summary
Earlier we focused on powers of 10 because 10 plays a special role in the decimal number system. But the exponent rules that we developed for 10 also work for other bases. For example, if
Using a variable