Today’s topics:
• Properties of exponents (review from previous math courses)
• Defining 0 exponent and negative exponent
• Simplifying expressions involving exponents, using those properties and definitions
In the textbook, see Examples 1-4 of section 4.1
• Adding rational expressions when the denominators are the same
• Adding rational expressions: finding Lowest Common Multiple of denominators
Here is a copy of the Course Outline with links to video resources for each topic.
My notes on the properties of exponents are linked on the Documents page here. (So far we have only discussed the first two pages of this.) It’s important to make sure that you familiarize yourself with these properties and that you use them correctly. Have these notes at hand when you work the problems.
Homework:
• Find and deal with your City Tech email.
• Review the examples we discussed in class. Make sure that you see how the properties of exponents are being used at each step. Pay attention to parentheses and what they are telling you about the order of operations.
• Log in to WeBWorK following the instructions here and start working on the assignments.
• Do the assigned problems from the Course Outline from p.321 up to #47 only. (the first set of exercises, from section 4.1) Please note: if a problem has no work to show and the answer is in the back of the textbook, it may not be put on the board, unless you disagree with the answer. In general, only problems that have work that you can show may be put on the board.
• If you have questions about the homework problems or anything else related to this material you can post them as questions on Piazza. Please check your email (whatever email address is in CUNYfirst for you) for the invitation to join Piazza.
