// Numbas version: finer_feedback_settings {"name": "Simon's copy of Laws of Indices", "extensions": [], "custom_part_types": [], "resources": [], "navigation": {"allowregen": true, "showfrontpage": false, "preventleave": false, "typeendtoleave": false}, "question_groups": [{"pickingStrategy": "all-ordered", "questions": [{"parts": [{"type": "gapfill", "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "gaps": [{"answer": "a^{x+y}", "type": "jme", "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "checkingType": "absdiff", "showPreview": true, "checkingAccuracy": 0.001, "scripts": {"mark": {"order": "after", "script": "// Parse the student's answer as a syntax tree\nvar studentTree = Numbas.jme.compile(this.studentAnswer,Numbas.jme.builtinScope);\n\n// Create the pattern to match against \n// we just want two sets of brackets, each containing two terms\n// or one of the brackets might not have a constant term\n// or for repeated roots, you might write (x+a)^2\nvar rule = Numbas.jme.compile('m_any(a^(m_number))');\n\n// Check the student's answer matches the pattern. \nvar m = Numbas.jme.display.matchTree(rule,studentTree,true);\n// If not, take away marks\nif(!m) {\n this.multCredit(0,'You haven\\'t simplified: your answer is not in the form $\\a^?$.');\n}"}}, "extendBaseMarkingAlgorithm": true, "failureRate": 1, "showCorrectAnswer": true, "customMarkingAlgorithm": "", "vsetRangePoints": 5, "notallowed": {"partialCredit": 0, "strings": ["*", "(", ")", "+"], "message": "

You must write your answer as a single power of a.

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You must write your answer as a single power of a.

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Write $a^{\\var{x}} \\times a^{\\var{y}}$ as a single power of $a$.

\n

\n

$a^{\\var{x}} \\times a^{\\var{y}} =$ [[0]].

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Use the rule: $a^m \\times a^n = a^{m+n}$.

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You must write your answer as a number multiplied by a single power of a.

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You must write your answer as a number multiplied by a single power of a.

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Write $\\var{c}a^\\var{p} \\times \\var{d}a^\\var{q}$ as an integer multiplied by a single power of $a$.

\n

$\\var{c}a^\\var{p} \\times \\var{d}a^\\var{q} =$ [[0]].

\n

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Write $\\displaystyle\\simplify{{b}*a^{x}/({g}*a^{y})}$ as a number multiplied by a single power of $a$.

\n

$\\displaystyle\\simplify{{b}*a^{x}/({g}*a^{y})} =$ [[0]].

\n

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You could use one of the following rules:

\n

$a^m \\div a^n = a^{m-n}$.

\n

$a^{-m} = \\displaystyle\\frac{1}{a^m}$.

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You must enter your answer as an integer multiplied by a single power of a.

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Write $(\\simplify{{c}*a^{p}})^{\\var{q}}$ as an integer multiplied by a single power of $a$.

\n

$(\\simplify{{c}*a^{p}})^{\\var{q}} =$ [[0]].

\n

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Use the rules:

\n

$(ab)^m = a^mb^m$.

\n

$(a^m)^n = a^{mn}$.

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You must input your answer as a single power of a.

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\n

Write $\\sqrt[\\var{d}]{a}$ as a single power of $a$. 

\n

$\\sqrt[\\var{d}]{a} =$ [[0]].

\n

\n

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Use the rule: $a^\\frac{1}{m} = \\sqrt[m]{a}$.

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Write $\\sqrt[\\var{q}]{a^\\var{c}}$ as a single power of $a$.

\n

$\\sqrt[\\var{q}]{a^\\var{c}} =$ [[0]].

\n

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Use the rule: $a^\\frac{n}{m} = \\sqrt[m]{a^n}$.

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Used in parts b,d and f

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Used in part c

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Used in parts a,c and e

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Used in parts b,d and f

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\n

Used in parts a,c and f

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Used in part c

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Used in parts b and d

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Used in parts b and e

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Using the laws of indices, simplify each expression down to its simplest form. Recall that $a^{0} = 1$ for any number $a$.

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This question aims to test understanding and ability to use the laws of indices.

"}, "advice": "

a)

\n

Here we are using the rule of indices: $a^m \\times a^n = a^{m+n}$.

\n

Using this rule, 

\n

\\[
\\begin{align}
a^\\var{x} \\times a^\\var{y}\\ &= a^\\simplify[all, !collectNumbers]{{x}+{y}}\\\\
&= a^\\var{x+y}.
\\end{align}
\\]

\n

b)

\n

We are asked to find $\\var{c}a^\\var{p} \\times \\var{d}a^\\var{q}$.

\n

Notice there is a constant in front of each of the terms.

\n

To do this, write the product out explicitly, as

\n

\\[\\var{c}a^\\var{p} \\times \\var{d}a^\\var{q} = \\var{c} \\times \\var{d} \\times a^\\var{p} \\times a^\\var{q}.\\]

\n

We know that $\\var{c} \\times \\var{d} = \\var{c*d}$, and using the rule of indices: $a^\\var{p} \\times a^\\var{q} = a^\\var{p+q}$.

\n

Therefore:

\n

\\begin{align}
\\var{c}a^\\var{p} \\times \\var{d}a^\\var{q}&= \\var{c*d} \\times a^\\var{p+q} \\\\
&= \\simplify{{c*d}*a^{p+q}}.
\\end{align}

\n

c)

\n

Here we are using: $a^m \\div a^n = a^{m-n}$.

\n

We are asked to simplify the expression, $\\displaystyle\\simplify{{b}*a^{x}/({g}*a^{y})}$.

\n

To do this, we just have to use the previously mentioned rule of indices.

\n

Start by writing the expression as

\n

\\[\\simplify{{b}*a^{x}/({g}*a^{y})} = \\simplify{{b}/{g}} \\times \\frac{\\simplify{a^{x}}}{{\\simplify{(a^{y})}}}.\\]

\n

Using rules of indices,

\n

\\begin{align}                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           \\frac{a^\\var{x}}{a^\\var{y}} &= a^\\var{x} \\div a^\\var{y}\\\\
&= a^\\simplify[all, !collectNumbers]{{x}-{y}}\\\\
&= a^\\var{x-y}.
\\end{align}

\n

Therefore,

\n

\\begin{align}
\\frac{\\var{b}a^\\var{x}}{\\var{g}a^\\var{y}} &= \\simplify{{b}/{g}} \\times \\simplify{a^{{x}-{y}}}\\\\
&= \\simplify{{b}/{g}*a^{x-y}}.
\\end{align}

\n

\n

d)

\n

The question asks us to simplify $(\\simplify{{c}*a^{p}})^{\\var{q}}$.

\n

To do this we use the rules:

\n

\\[(ab)^m = a^mb^m.\\]

\n

\\[(a^{m})^{n} = a^{mn},\\]

\n

Using the first of these rules we obtain:

\n

\\[(\\simplify{{c}*a^{p}})^{\\var{q}}= \\var{c}^{\\var{q}} \\times (a^{\\var{p}})^{\\var{q}}.\\]

\n

Then using the second rule gives:

\n

\\[
\\begin{align}
(\\simplify{{c}*a^{p}})^{\\var{q}}&= \\simplify{{c}^{q}} \\times a^\\var{p*q}\\\\
&= \\simplify{{c}^{q}*a^{p*q}}.
\\end{align}
\\]

\n

e)

\n

The question asks us to simplify $\\sqrt[\\var{d}]{a}$.

\n

To do this we use the rule:

\n

\\[a^\\frac{1}{m} = \\sqrt[m]{a},\\]

\n

We can expand the expression as follows:

\n

\\[
\\begin{align}
\\sqrt[\\var{d}]{a} &= (\\simplify{a})^\\frac{1}{\\var{d}}\\\\
&= a^\\frac{1}{\\var{d}}.
\\end{align}
\\]

\n

f)

\n

The question requires us to simplify $\\sqrt[\\var{c}]{a^\\var{q}}$.

\n

Here, we use the rule of indices: $a^\\frac{n}{m} = \\sqrt[m]{a^n}$, allowing us to expand the expression as follows:

\n

\\[
\\begin{align}
\\sqrt[\\var{c}]{\\simplify{a^{q}}} &= \\simplify[fractionnumbers,all]{(a^{q})^{{1}/{{c}}}}\\\\
&= \\simplify[fractionnumbers,all]{a^{{q}/{c}}}.
\\end{align}
\\]

", "preamble": {"js": "", "css": ""}, "rulesets": {}, "type": "question", "contributors": [{"name": "Christian Lawson-Perfect", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/7/"}, {"name": "Elliott Fletcher", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/1591/"}, {"name": "Simon Thomas", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/3148/"}]}]}], "contributors": [{"name": "Christian Lawson-Perfect", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/7/"}, {"name": "Elliott Fletcher", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/1591/"}, {"name": "Simon Thomas", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/3148/"}]}