what is expornts with examples
Answers
An exponent refers to the number of times a number is multiplied by itself. For example, 2 to the 3rd (written like this: 23) means:
2 x 2 x 2 = 8.
23 is not the same as 2 x 3 = 6.
Remember that a number raised to the power of 1 is itself. For example,
a1 = a
51 = 5.
There are some special cases:
1. a0 = 1
When an exponent is zero, as in 60, the expression is always equal to 1.
a0 = 1
60 = 1
14,3560 = 1
2. a-m = 1 / am
When an exponent is a negative number, the result is always a fraction. Fractions consist of a numerator over a denominator. In this instance, the numerator is always 1. To find the denominator, pretend that the negative exponent is positive, and raise the number to that power, like this:
a-m = 1 / am
6-3 = 1 / 63
You can have a variable to a given power, such as a3, which would mean a x a x a. You can also have a number to a variable power, such as 2m, which would mean 2 multiplied by itself m times. We will deal with that in a little while.