In mathematics, any non-zero number raised to the power of zero is equal to one. This can be expressed as:
x0 = 1 (for x ≠ 0)
This rule is a consequence of the laws of exponents. When we think about exponentiation, we often see it as repetitive multiplication. For instance:
- x3 = x × x × x
- x2 = x × x
- x1 = x
- x0 = ?
If we follow the pattern of decreasing the exponent by 1, we can rewrite x1 as:
x1 = x1 × x0 / x1
Here, we can see that if we divide x1 by x1, we get 1. Hence,:
x0 = 1
Remember that this rule only applies when x is not equal to zero. The expression 00 is considered indeterminate in mathematics. So, as a general guideline, always consider x to be a non-zero number when using this exponent rule.