Indices (Exponents) — ICSE Class 9 Maths Important Questions
13 hand-picked ICSE Class 9 Maths important questions for Indices (Exponents), each with a full model answer — the formats and topics most likely to appear in your board exam.
- 13
- Questions
- 6
- Question types
- 32
- Total marks
- ₹0
- With answers
High-yield ICSE Indices (Exponents) questions apply the laws a^m× a^n=a^m+n, a^m/a^n=a^m-n, (a^m)^n=a^mn, a^0=1 and a^-n=1/a^n to simplify expressions, and solve exponential equations by making the bases equal. Simplification and 'solve for x' questions appear every year.
About Indices (Exponents)
In the ICSE Class 9 Maths chapter Indices (Exponents) you use the laws of indices to simplify expressions with integral and fractional exponents, evaluate powers, and solve exponential equations by expressing both sides with a common base. The chapter builds fluency with negative and zero exponents and with surd-power forms. For a positive real number a and rational powers m,n, the three laws you'll be asked to state and apply are the product law a^m× a^n=a^m+n, the quotient law a^m/a^n=a^m-n, and the power law (a^m)^n=a^mn — including with rational (fractional) powers, not just whole-number exponents.
Key concepts & formulas
a^m× a^n=a^m+n, a^m/a^n=a^m-n, (a^m)^n=a^mn, (ab)^n=a^n b^n, (a/b)^n=a^n/b^n.
For a≠0, a^0=1 and a^-n=1/a^n. Also (a/b)^-n=(b/a)^n.
a^1/n=[n]a and a^m/n=[n]a^m=([n]a)^m, for a>0.
If a^x=a^y with a>0, a≠1, then x=y. Rewrite both sides to a common base first.
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Important questions with answers
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| Question type | Count | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | 4 | 1 |
| Assertion–Reason | 1 | 1 |
| Very Short | 2 | 2 |
| Short Answer | 3 | 3 |
| Long Answer | 2 | 5 |
| Case-based | 1 | 4 |
Multiple-choice questions (1 mark)
The value of 2^-3 is:
- (a)
18
- (b)
8
- (c)
-8
- (d)
-18
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Answer: (a) 18.
2^-3=1/2^3=18.
Simplify x^5× x^-2.
- (a)
x^3
- (b)
x^7
- (c)
x^-10
- (d)
x^-3
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Answer: (a) x^3.
x^5× x^-2=x^5+(-2)=x^3.
The value of (27/8)^-2/3 is:
- (a)
49
- (b)
94
- (c)
9/4×9/4
- (d)
23
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Answer: (a) 49.
(27/8)^-2/3=(8/27)^2/3=(2/3)^2=49.
If 2^x=8^\,y+1 and 9^y=3^\,x-9, then the value of x+y is:
- (a)
27
- (b)
21
- (c)
24
- (d)
18
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Answer: (a) 27.
2^x=2^3(y+1) x=3y+3. Also 3^2y=3^x-9 2y=x-9. Substitute: 2y=(3y+3)-9 -y=-6 y=6, so x=21. Hence x+y=27.
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Practise free with the AI tutor →Assertion–Reason questions (1 mark)
Assertion (A): (3/5)^-2=25/9.
Reason (R): For a≠0, (a/b)^-n=(b/a)^n.
- (a)
Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b)
Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
- (c)
A is true but R is false
- (d)
A is false but R is true
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Answer: (a) Using R, (3/5)^-2=(5/3)^2=25/9, so A is true and R correctly explains it.
Very short answer questions (2 marks)
Evaluate (16/81)^-3/4.
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(16/81)^-3/4=(81/16)^3/4=(3^4/2^4)^3/4=(3/2)^3=27/8.
Solve for x: 3^x+2=27.
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Write 27=3^3:
3^x+2=3^3 x+2=3 x=1.
Short answer questions (3 marks)
Simplify: a^-1+b^-1a^-1-b^-1 and express with positive indices.
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Write with positive indices:
1a+1b/1a-1b=b+a/abb-a/ab.
The ab cancels:
=a+b/b-a.
Prove that 11+x^a-b+11+x^b-a=1.
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Consider the second term and multiply numerator and denominator by x^a-b:
11+x^b-a=x^a-bx^a-b(1+x^b-a)=x^a-bx^a-b+x^0=x^a-bx^a-b+1.
Now add the two terms:
11+x^a-b+x^a-b1+x^a-b=1+x^a-b1+x^a-b=1.
Hence proved.
Simplify: 2^5× 4^28^3, giving the answer as a power of 2.
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Express every term as a power of 2:
4^2=(2^2)^2=2^4, 8^3=(2^3)^3=2^9.
So
2^5× 2^4/2^9=2^92^9=2^0=1.
Long answer questions (5 marks)
Solve for x: 2^2x-1=1/8, and separately solve 5^x+1=25^\,x-1.
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Part 1: Write 18=2^-3:
2^2x-1=2^-3 2x-1=-3 2x=-2 x=-1.
Part 2: Write 25=5^2 so 25^x-1=5^2(x-1)=5^2x-2:
5^x+1=5^2x-2 x+1=2x-2 x=3.
So the solutions are x=-1 and x=3 respectively.
If a^x=b^y=c^z and b^2=ac, prove that 1x+1z=2y.
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Let a^x=b^y=c^z=k (a common value, k>0).
Then
a=k^1/x, b=k^1/y, c=k^1/z.
Given b^2=ac, substitute:
(k^1/y)^2=k^1/x· k^1/z.
k^2/y=k^\,1x+1z.
Since the bases are equal (k>0, k≠1), equate the exponents:
2y=1x+1z.
Hence 1x+1z=2y, as required.
Case-based questions (4 marks)
A bacteria colony doubles every hour. Its count after t hours is N=N_0· 2^t, where N_0 is the starting count. A lab starts with N_0=500 bacteria.
(i) Write N after 3 hours as a power expression and evaluate it.
(ii) After how many hours will the count reach 16000?
(iii) Express N_0=500 and the 3-hour count as products of powers of primes.
(iv) If instead the colony triples each hour, write the count after t hours.
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(i) N=500· 2^3=500×8=4000 bacteria.
(ii) Solve 500· 2^t=16000 2^t=32=2^5 t=5 hours.
(iii) 500=2^2×5^3. The 3-hour count 4000=2^5×5^3 (since 4000=4000, and 2^5=32, 32×125=4000).
(iv) With tripling, N=500· 3^t.
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Frequently asked questions
Are these Indices (Exponents) important questions free?
Yes. All 13 ICSE Class 9 Maths important questions for Indices (Exponents) are free, with full model answers and no login required.Do these Indices (Exponents) questions follow the latest ICSE syllabus?
Yes — they are aligned to the CISCE latest syllabus syllabus for ICSE Class 9 Maths, so nothing here is outside the current course.How should I practise the Indices (Exponents) important questions?
Attempt each question on paper first, then reveal the model answer to check your method — not just the final result. Re-do anything you got wrong the same day.What types of questions are covered for Indices (Exponents)?
A full mix — multiple-choice questions, assertion–reason questions, very short answer questions, short answer questions, long answer questions, case-based questions — so every format in the ICSE paper is covered.
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