Why does my child think 5⁰ = 0?
Your child gives anything to the power 0 as 0, such as 5⁰ = 0.
Why children do it
Zero usually makes things zero, so 5⁰ = 0 looks right. But follow the pattern: 5³ = 125, 5² = 25, 5¹ = 5, each one divided by 5. The next is 5 ÷ 5, which is 1. Anything except 0 to the power 0 is 1.
How to help at home
Ask them to follow the pattern down: 5³ = 125, 5² = 25, 5¹ = 5, each one divided by 5. What comes next?
The right way
Simplify: 5x⁰
- 5 × 1x⁰ is 1: anything except 0 to the power 0 is 1.
- 5So 5x⁰ is 5, not 0.
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