there is no such thing as +0 or -0 right? my friends think that and i wasn't for sure.

Hi! There Isn't such a thing as positive zero or -0. Zero is an undefined number, meaning that it is not - or +. I hope this helps!

Why is 0 raised to the power of a negative number undefined

When a number is raised to the power of a negative number, it is put under one and the exponent turns positive. For example, 2^-2 would be written as 1/2^2 or 1/4. Now if zero is raised to a negative power, it would be like: 0^-1 what simplifies to 1/0^1 what simplifies to 1/0. When a number is divided by zero, it results in undifined.

Hey, everyone, I understand everything Sal is explaining but I still feel I need a deeper understanding of why a^0=1. You see my dilemma is not in understanding how for example when 2^4=16 is also like saying 2^4=1x2x2x2x2. It's just if I applied that same logic to say 2^0 then I would get 2^0=1x(nothing) and from what I've gathered any number multiplied by zero is always zero. I'm confused as to how this becomes intuitive or logical. I can just accept it, but there doesn't seem to be any logical explanation here and I know math is a formal/logical system and it's meant to be understood so would someone please explain to me what I am missing to logically understand this :)?

2^0 is not "1 x nothing". 2^0 = 1 x "no 2's". This leaves just the 1. Of, work it backwards... 2^3 = 8 2^2 = 4 How do you change 2^3 or 8 into 4? You divide by 2: 2^3 / 2 = 8/2 = 4 2^2 = 4 2^1 = 2 Again, 2^2 / 2 = 4/2 = 2 2^1 = 2 So, 2^0 = ?. Use the same logic. 2^1 / 2 = 2/2 = 1, NOT zero. Hope this helps.

Good video. However, you also mentioned that _0^x=0_ *(where x is any non-0 real no.)* and i think that is wrong because NEGATIVES are also real numbers. in my opinion, ``0^(-x)= ∞`` because that becomes ``1/(0^x)= 1/0 = ∞`` , right? Also, whenever we reduce powers, we divide the power by _(base^1)_. Thus, to obtain *``0^0``*, we have to do ```(0^1) / (0^1)```, or ```0/0````, which is *_∞_ (UNDEFINED)*. Is that the logic that certain mathematicians used do say, "```0^0 = ∞```" ?

0 to the power of 0 is undefined.

I have a simple question.... so if anything is to the power of 0 then it would just be 0? I would appreciate it if someone had answered quickly so please

0⁰ is _indeterminate_ or _undefined_ Any other number to the power of zero is 1. For example: 1⁰ = 1 5⁰ = 1 20⁰ = 1 100⁰ = 1 (-8)⁰ = 1 (-49)⁰ = 1 (-212)⁰ = 1 Hope this helps!

Main content

8th grade

Course: 8th grade > Unit 1

Lesson 8: Exponent properties (integer exponents)

Powers of zero

Name: Powers of zero
Uploaded: 2013-08-03T00:56:59Z
Description: Any non-zero number to the zero power equals one. Zero to any positive exponent equals zero. So, what happens when you have zero to the zero power?

Google Classroom

Any non-zero number to the zero power equals one. Zero to any positive exponent equals zero. So, what happens when you have zero to the zero power? Created by Sal Khan.

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Micah Kunkle
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Micah Kunkle's post “there is no such thing as...”
there is no such thing as +0 or -0 right? my friends think that and i wasn't for sure.
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- Stacy Patel
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Stacy Patel's post “Hi! There Isn't such a t...”
  Hi! There Isn't such a thing as positive zero or -0. Zero is an undefined number, meaning that it is not - or +. I hope this helps!
  Comment on Stacy Patel's post “Hi! There Isn't such a t...”
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Arundhati
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Arundhati's post “Why is 0 raised to the po...”
Why is 0 raised to the power of a negative number undefined
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- neilakhan
  Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to neilakhan's post “When a number is raised t...”
  When a number is raised to the power of a negative number, it is put under one and the exponent turns positive. For example, 2^-2 would be written as 1/2^2 or 1/4.
  Now if zero is raised to a negative power, it would be like: 0^-1 what simplifies to 1/0^1 what simplifies to 1/0. When a number is divided by zero, it results in undifined.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (19 votes)
Vanessa Eva Sky
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Vanessa Eva Sky's post “Hey, everyone, I understa...”
Hey, everyone, I understand everything Sal is explaining but I still feel I need a deeper understanding of why a^0=1. You see my dilemma is not in understanding how for example when 2^4=16 is also like saying 2^4=1x2x2x2x2. It's just if I applied that same logic to say 2^0 then I would get 2^0=1x(nothing) and from what I've gathered any number multiplied by zero is always zero. I'm confused as to how this becomes intuitive or logical. I can just accept it, but there doesn't seem to be any logical explanation here and I know math is a formal/logical system and it's meant to be understood so would someone please explain to me what I am missing to logically understand this :)?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Vanessa Eva Sky's post “Hey, everyone, I understa...”
(9 votes)
Answer
- Kim Seidel
  Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Kim Seidel's post “2^0 is not "1 x nothing"....”
  2^0 is not "1 x nothing".
  2^0 = 1 x "no 2's". This leaves just the 1.
  
  Of, work it backwards...
  2^3 = 8
  2^2 = 4
  How do you change 2^3 or 8 into 4? You divide by 2: 2^3 / 2 = 8/2 = 4
  2^2 = 4
  2^1 = 2
  Again, 2^2 / 2 = 4/2 = 2
  2^1 = 2
  So, 2^0 = ?. Use the same logic. 2^1 / 2 = 2/2 = 1, NOT zero.
  
  Hope this helps.
  Comment on Kim Seidel's post “2^0 is not "1 x nothing"....”
  (14 votes)
Maui Lumb-broadnax
Posted 5 months ago. Direct link to Maui Lumb-broadnax's post “is it just me or do the t...”
is it just me or do the teachers over explain it to make it confusing
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- KBZ
  Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to KBZ's post “it's literally the most e...”
  it's literally the most easiest vid than any other.
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  (0 votes)
Lollipop
Posted 9 months ago. Direct link to Lollipop's post “Anyone else just scroll t...”
Anyone else just scroll through comments laughing and commenting for fun? :)
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- WILLIAMD
  Posted 8 months ago. Direct link to WILLIAMD's post “heck ya”
  heck ya
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cayden
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to cayden's post “why does a power of zero ...”
why does a power of zero always equal to 1?
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Brianna
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Brianna's post “I have a simple question....”
I have a simple question.... so if anything is to the power of 0 then it would just be 0? I would appreciate it if someone had answered quickly so please
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Brianna's post “I have a simple question....”
(1 vote)
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- Polina Vitić
  Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Polina Vitić's post “0⁰ is _indeterminate_ or ...”
  0⁰ is indeterminate or undefined
  
  Any other number to the power of zero is 1. For example:
  
  1⁰ = 1
  5⁰ = 1
  20⁰ = 1
  100⁰ = 1
  (-8)⁰ = 1
  (-49)⁰ = 1
  (-212)⁰ = 1
  
  Hope this helps!
  Comment on Polina Vitić's post “0⁰ is _indeterminate_ or ...”
  (5 votes)
Lillian
Posted 3 months ago. Direct link to Lillian's post “What is the point of putt...”
What is the point of putting the 1 when finding out the power of 0 when it will just always come out as 0 ?
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(3 votes)
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agguram
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to agguram's post “Good video. However, you ...”
Good video. However, you also mentioned that 0^x=0 *(where x is any non-0 real no.)* and i think that is wrong because NEGATIVES are also real numbers. in my opinion, 0^(-x)= ∞ because that becomes 1/(0^x)= 1/0 = ∞ , right? Also, whenever we reduce powers, we divide the power by (base^1). Thus, to obtain *0^0*, we have to do
(0^1) / (0^1)
, or
0/0
`, which is *_∞_ (UNDEFINED)*. Is that the logic that certain mathematicians used do say, "
0^0 = ∞
" ?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on agguram's post “Good video. However, you ...”
(3 votes)
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- KBZ
  Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to KBZ's post “0 to the power of 0 is un...”
  0 to the power of 0 is undefined.
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  (3 votes)
EnzoV
Posted 7 months ago. Direct link to EnzoV's post “thanks”
thanks
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Video transcript

- [Instructor] In this video, we're going to talk about powers of zero. And just as a little bit of a reminder, let's start with a nonzero number, just to remind ourselves what exponentiation is all about. So if I were to take two to the first power, one way to think about this is we always start with a one, and then we multiply this base that many times times that one. So here, we're only gonna have one two, so it's gonna be one times two, which is, of course, equal to two. If I were to say what is two to the second power? Well, that's going to be equal to one times, and now I'm gonna have two twos, so times two times two, which is equal to four. And you could keep going like that. Now, the reason why I have this one here, and we've done this before, is to justify, and there's many other good reasons why two to the zero power should be equal to one. But you could see, if we use the same exact idea here, you start with a one, and then you multiply it by two zero times. Well, that's just going to end up with a one. So, so far I've told you this video's about powers of zero, but I've been doing powers of two. So let's focus on zero now. So what do you think zero to the first power is going to be? Pause this video, and try to figure that out. Well, you do the exact same idea. You start with a one, and then multiply it by zero one time. So times zero, and this is going to be equal to zero. What do you think zero to the second power is going to be equal to? Pause this video and think about that. Well, it's going to be one times zero twice, so times zero times zero. And I think you see where this is going. This is also going to be equal to zero. What do you think zero to some arbitrary positive integer is going to be? Well, it's going to be equal to one times zero that positive integer number of times. So once again, it's going to be equal to zero. And in general, you can extend that. Zero to any positive value exponent is going to give you zero. So that's pretty straightforward. But there is an interesting edge case here. What do you think zero to the zeroth power should be? Pause this video and think about that. Well, this is actually contested. Different people will tell you different things. If you use the intuition behind exponentiation that we've been using in this video, you would say, all right, I would start with a one and then multiply it by zero zero times. Or in other words, I just wouldn't multiply it by zero, in which case I'm just left with the one, the zero to the zeroth power should be equal to one. Other folks would say, "Hey, no, I'm with the zero and that's the zeroth power, maybe it should be a zero." And that's why a lot of folks leave it undefined. Most of the time, you're going to see zero to the zeroth power, either being undefined or that it is equal to one.