Unit 5
Lesson 1
Unit 5: Powers and Exponents
Lesson 1: Using Exponents to Describe Numbers
Get Focused
Extreme sports, such as bungee jumping, are popular among thrill-seekers. Bungee jumpers, particularly, may enjoy the sensation they experience during the free-fall portion of the jump.
Watch a Bungee Jump slideshow to see an example of this extreme activity.
exponent: a number in a power that represents how many times a base is used as a factor
During free-fall, the bungee jumper accelerates towards the ground. This means that the distance a person covers per second is increasing. The distance fallen can be approximated using the formula d = 4.9t2, where d represents the total distance in metres and t represents time in seconds. In the formula, the time is squared. This is represented by the exponent 2.
You can learn more about Exponent at the Mathematics Glossary website. You may also wish to review Power.
This lesson will help you answer the following critical question:
- How can exponents be used to represent the product of repeated multiplication?
Assignments
Your assignment will consist of the following:
- posting to the discussion board
- completing Unit 5: Lesson 1 Question Set
- starting work on the Unit 5 Project
Required Materials and Equipment
- calculator with an exponent key