Zero Exponent Video: Teach it with a Pattern!

Zero Exponent Video: Teach it with a Pattern!

Let students discover why a number to zero power is 1 by continuing a pattern logically. This justifies the rule and makes it logical, instead of just a piece of "announced" mathematics without proof. I also show another way of justifying the fact that a number to zeroth power is one, which has to do with the shortcut for multiplication of powers with the same base.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• math
• exponent
• zero
• mathmammoth

[0freakyfizzygirl0]

Can u please tell us why 0! = 1 ??

[MathMammoth]

@0freakyfizzygirl0 Basically It is defined to be so, presumably for the sake of convenience. Find out more by searching in Google for "zero factorial".

[OmicronRBTN]

and what about 0? Does 0^0=1?

[MathMammoth]

@OmicronRBTN This is an old conundrum. 0^0 can either be defined to be zero or one, depending on context, or it can also be said to be "indeterminate". I would like to refer you to Dr. Math's excellent answer on it... search the Internet for

math forum ask dr math zero to zero power

and you will find this particular article.

[jeremyhillaryboobphd]

thankyou for your explanation, and i had exactly the same problem everywhere i looked x^0=1 and i was constantly asking "but why?" and i attribute this inadequacy of logical explanation as the main reason why i never got into maths in school. What i worked out on my own before watching this vid is that the 1 from x^0 is the exponents multiplicative property rather than its actual value, would this be a correct way to view it?

[MathMammoth]

@jeremyhillaryboobphd I am not sure what you mean by the exponent's multiplicative property.. you'd have to explain your thinking some more.

[Jadriam]

Thank you for explaining this. This principle was simply dropped on me and never explained at all, and this video helped me understand it. I will never understand why we received such an unusual principle in our exercises with no warning. It's like a fitness trainer telling you to running around a track and suddenly having a hurdle pop up in the middle of the path.

[annglamgal]

THANK YOU for posting this! My son's 7th Grade math teacher needs to see this - and implement this great teaching method!

[Sammo1357]

/fap fap fap fap

[0freakyfizzygirl0]

@MathMammoth Thanks

[GSmash5]

You are incredible

[0freakyfizzygirl0]

Thanks

[stefanhyltoft]

Fantastic, now I understand. Thank you.

[resonance2001]

I find the number 0 to be a strange one. It has some unusual properties