A-level maths / Pure 1 / Algebraic expressions
Algebraic expressions
The tools you will use throughout A-level maths: powers, products, factors and exact roots.
Start with indices if powers feel uncertain. Each lesson includes worked examples, a visual explanation and practice with full solutions.
- Laws of indicesSimplify powers, understand negative and fractional indices, and keep track of the conditions that make each rule valid.
- Expanding and factorisingMove between products and sums, expand two or three brackets, and factorise quadratics and higher powers without losing terms.
- Surds and rationalising denominatorsKeep roots exact, simplify surd expressions and use conjugates to remove roots from denominators.
How these skills connect
Index laws simplify expressions before calculus. Expanding and factorising let you switch between forms. Surds keep roots exact when you solve equations or work with lengths.