Why do exponents add when I multiply?
Rafi computed 2^3 * 2^2 by multiplying the exponents: 3 * 2 = 6, so he wrote 2^6 = 64. The exponents should add.
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2 lessons for “Exponent rules”
What happened when the exponent went negative?
Noor computed 2^-3 as -8. She treated the exponent's sign as the answer's sign, but exponents and values are different things.
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Is it sodium chloride or sodium chlorine?
Two words and two numbers stand between you and a correct ionic name or formula. Learn the rule, then balance the charges.
Try this lessonWhat power solves 2^x = 32?
A logarithm asks one question: what exponent do I need? log3(81) says: 3 to what power gives 81?
Try this lessonWhat do two negatives in a row do?
Priya multiplied -3 by -4 and wrote -12. She remembered that negatives matter, but she got the rule backwards.
Try this lessonWhat does minus a negative really mean?
Diego saw 5 - (-3) and wrote 2, as if the problem were 5 - 3. But the two minus signs are doing different jobs.
Try this lessonWhich prefix: mono, di, or tri?
Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide both start with carbon. The prefixes are the only thing telling them apart, so get them right.
Try this lessonWhich way does the inequality flip?
Sofia divided -2x ≥ 10 by -2 and wrote x ≥ -5, keeping the symbol the way it was. The rule says it flips to ≤.
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