HSCScience · Year 7 · Stage 4 Indices

Zero Index and Indices Synthesis

Outcome: MA4-IND-C-01 · Show working and explain the law or property used.

1. What is 25⁰?
2. Simplify 8⁵ ÷ 8⁵.
3. Simplify (2³)² × 2⁴.
4. Which statement has the necessary condition?
5. Evaluate 10⁰ + 3² × 2.
6. Use two different arguments to explain why 9⁰ = 1.
7. Simplify (5²)³ ÷ 5⁴.
8. Evaluate 2⁵ × 2² ÷ 2⁶ + 7⁰.
9. Create a numerical expression that uses all four Stage 4 index laws and evaluates to 17.

Answers and reasoning

1. Answer

1. Every non-zero base raised to zero equals 1.

2. Answer

1. 8⁵ ÷ 8⁵ = 8⁰ = 1.

3. Answer

2¹⁰. (2³)² = 2⁶, then 2⁶ × 2⁴ = 2¹⁰.

4. Answer

a⁰ = 1 for a ≠ 0. The Stage 4 zero-index law applies to non-zero bases.

5. Answer

19. 10⁰ = 1 and 3² × 2 = 18, so the total is 19.

6. Model response

Quotient law: 9³ ÷ 9³ = 9⁰, while any non-zero number divided by itself is 1. Pattern: 9² = 81, 9¹ = 9, and dividing by 9 again gives 9⁰ = 1.

7. Model response

5⁶ ÷ 5⁴ = 5² = 25.

8. Model response

2⁷ ÷ 2⁶ + 1 = 2¹ + 1 = 3.

9. Model response

Example: (2²)³ ÷ 2⁴ + 3⁰ + 2³ × 2⁰ = 2² + 1 + 8 = 13, not 17; revise to (2²)³ ÷ 2³ + 3⁰ + 2³ × 2⁰ = 8 + 1 + 8 = 17.

Return to Lesson 20