Exponents & Scientific Notation

What this lesson covers

Exponents & Scientific Notation is a 10-part Class 8 Mathematics lesson. Each part makes one point and then hands over to the next, so it can be read in a sitting or picked up again at the part you stopped on. It defines the idea in plain words before using it, works through an example step by step, breaks the topic into its parts and compares them, shows where it is used outside the textbook, names the mistakes that cost marks in an exam, ends with a recap of what to remember.

How it begins

am × an = am+n am ÷ an = am−n (am)n = amn (ab)n = anbnThey only apply to the same base. 2³ × 3⁴ cannot be simplified this way. These are not arbitrary. Write 2³ × 2⁴ out in full and you are simply counting how many 2s there are, which is why the exponents add.

The 10 parts

1. The index laws
2. Zero and negative indices
3. Fractional indices are roots
4. Standard form
5. Adding in standard form
6. Choosing the right form
7. Where this is used
8. Where it usually goes wrong
9. What to remember
10. Watch one worked through