About the
Exponents
Lesson
Summary
This lesson introduces students to exponents.
Lesson Objectives
• To be able to explain what exponents are.
•
To be able list some exponent rules.
•
To be able to list some simplification rules.
Suggested Grades
5th Grade
6th Grade
Lesson Excerpt
Exponents are shortcuts to express a multiplication of a number by itself. Exponents tell you how many times you should multiply the number by. This process of using exponents is called ‘raising to a power,’ where the exponent is the ‘power.’
For example: instead of writing 2 x 2 x 2, you could write 23.
2 is known as the base. 3 is the exponent or power.
Examples:
22 = 2 x 2 = 4
52 = 5 x 5 = 25
33 = 3 x 3 x 3 = 27
Continued...
