Key Concepts in Indices & Powers
- Laws of indices
- Negative indices
- Fractional indices
- Zero index
- Powers of powers
Exam Tips for Indices & Powers
- 💡aᵐ × aⁿ = aᵐ⁺ⁿ (multiply — add powers)
- 💡aᵐ ÷ aⁿ = aᵐ⁻ⁿ (divide — subtract powers)
- 💡a^(1/n) = ⁿ√a (fractional index is a root)
Exam Board Coverage
Indices & Powers appears on all major GCSE Maths exam boards at both Foundation and Higher tier.
AQA
Edexcel
OCR
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a negative index mean?
A negative index means the reciprocal. For example, 2⁻³ = 1/2³ = 1/8.
What does a fractional index mean?
The denominator of a fractional index gives the root. a^(1/2) = √a, a^(1/3) = ∛a. For a^(m/n) = (ⁿ√a)ᵐ.