Explain the Zero Exponent Rule in your own words.

1 answer

The Zero Exponent Rule states that any non-zero number raised to the power of zero equals one. This means that if you have a number, say \( a \), and you raise it to the exponent of zero (as long as \( a \) is not zero), the result will always be 1.

In simpler terms, regardless of what the number is (like 5, -3, or 1,000), when you take it to the zero power, you'll always get 1. For example:

  • \( 5^0 = 1 \)
  • \( (-3)^0 = 1 \)
  • \( (1000)^0 = 1 \)

However, it's important to note that 0 raised to the power of zero (0^0) is a special case and is often considered to be undefined or indeterminate in mathematics. But for any other number, the rule holds true!