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This topic covers square, cube and higher powers and their corresponding roots, estimating roots and using index notation for them. It's a core topic in GCSE and iGCSE Maths with Edexcel and the other major boards. This free interactive course teaches the method with worked examples and gives instant-feedback practice questions to lock it in.
How you do it
A square root undoes squaring and a cube root undoes cubing. Learn the squares to 15 and the cubes to 5 so you can recognise them instantly. For larger numbers, use prime factorisation and pair up the factors.
Before you start
Assumed knowledge: squares, cubes and their roots. It is Foundation and Higher tier material at GCSE and iGCSE. This is the foundation for indices and surds.
What you learn
Powers and roots are inverse operations — squaring and square-rooting undo each other. This lesson locks in the square and cube numbers you need to recall instantly. The course works through squares, cubes and powers, square roots and cube roots and estimating roots. Every section has instant-feedback practice questions matched to Edexcel iGCSE 4MA1 and the other major GCSE boards, and the course finishes with full exam-style questions you mark yourself.
Related Topics
Powers & Roots is part of the Number strand of our free GCSE maths courses, studied in Foundation tier. The course is built from 3 concept sections, 2 worked examples and 3 check points before the exam-style set. Students often pair it with Primes, Factors & Multiples, Primes & LCM / HCF, Primes & Proof and Product Rule for Counting. For unlimited practice, the Number revision engine builds new questions on demand and records your accuracy.
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