Zero Exponent - with a Pattern!

Many school books just "announce" the rule or the fact that any number to zero exponent is one (excluding zero to zeroth power, to be exact). I like to call this "announced" mathematics - it's math without justifications, without explaining the "whys".

In the video below, I show you a better way, where we approach it through a simple pattern. This justifies the rule and makes it logical, instead of just a piece of "announced" mathematics without proof.


Zero Exponent video

I also show another way of justifying it, which has to do with the shortcut for multiplication of powers with the same base. For example:

Following the shortcut for multiplying powers with the same base,

x⁷ x⁰ = x⁷, because you can add the exponents 0 + 7 = 7.

This is an equation where x⁷ is multiplied by x⁰, and the result is x⁷. What must x⁰ therefore be? It must equal one.

See also my earlier article on this topic: Negative or zero exponent.