What Are Exponents?

Exponents are used to represent repeated multiplication of the same number or expression. An exponential expression consists of two parts: the base (the larger number) and the exponent (a small number written above and to the right of the base number). The exponent indicates the number of times the base should be multiplied by itself. For example, 2^3 means 2 multiplied by itself 3 times, which equals 8.

2^{3}=2\times 2\times 2=8

A common mistake students make is thinking the exponent works the same way as multiplication. It’s important to keep practicing and remember that 2^3 is not the same as 2 times 3.

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