Powers and Roots

Unit Description:

In this unit, students will learn to simplify expressions that contain exponents, explore square roots and irrational numbers, use scientific notation, and use the power rules to simplify expressions.

Big Ideas:

• Scientific notation can be used to write extremely large or small numbers
• Exponential rules can be used to simplify expressions containing exponents
• Evaluating expressions is the 2nd step in the order of operations
• For any integer n that is not a perfect square, the square root of n is irrational

Essential Questions:

• What is the difference between the square of a number and the square root of a number?
• How is the square root of a number that is not a perfect square estimated?
• Why is it useful to write numbers in different ways?

Textbook - Glencoe Math Accelerated

• 4-2: Negative & Zero Exponents
• 4-3: Multiplying & Dividing Monomials
• 4-4: Scientific Notation
• 4-5: Computing with Scientific Notation*
• 4-6: Square Roots & Cube Roots
• 4-7: The Real Number System**

* Honors

**Honors Supplement to include more challenging uses of Power Rules