Skip to Main Content

Fractional Exponents

Mike McGarry
Lesson by Mike McGarry
Magoosh Expert
Summary
The lesson elucidates the concept of fractional exponents, establishing a clear link between exponents and roots, and offering strategic insights for simplifying calculations involving fractional exponents.
  • Fractional exponents represent roots, with the exponent 1/n corresponding to the nth root of a base.
  • The process of converting a fractional exponent to a root involves identifying the numerator and denominator of the fraction to determine the power and the type of root respectively.
  • Strategic calculation advice includes simplifying expressions by taking roots before applying powers to avoid dealing with unnecessarily large numbers.
  • Examples and practice problems demonstrate how to apply these concepts and strategies to simplify expressions and solve equations involving fractional exponents.
  • The rules for fractional exponents apply to positive numbers and, with certain conditions, to zero and negative numbers as well.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Fractional Exponents
00:29
Understanding Roots through Fractional Exponents
04:47
Strategies for Simplifying Calculations
06:05
Applying the Concepts to Negative Numbers and Zero