Set 3

This is a pivotal unit in Math 9 as we will expand on the concept of exponents that students learned in Math 8. Exponents is "merely an efficient and compact way to write multiplication" in the language of math. There are terminologies, syntax and rules that students need to learn to read, write, speak and compute in order to work with algebraic expressions later on in the course. "Exponent Laws" are considered as one of the foundational stones in the language of Algebra. It is one of the most powerful way that high school students can manipulate any Algebraic expression to change the way it looks without changing its value.

Our main goals in this unit are:

• Know the various parts of an Algebraic expression involving exponents (both hidden and explicit).

• Be able to read, write, speak and compute exponents by understanding that it is merely a compact way of writing multiplications.

• Be able to understand and work with the basic rules of exponents and use it to simplify Algebraic expressions of various complexities.

• Be able to effectively deal with exponents as applied to negative numbers in various ways and complexities.

• Be able to work with exponents on a calculator in addition to working with it manually.

• To lay the foundation for the rules and ideas behind operations with Positive Exponents such that students will be better able to deal with Negative Exponent as well as Rational Exponents in later courses.

• To lay the foundation for the rules and ideas behind operations with Algebraic Expressions.