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Math Basics

More About Numbers

What are exponents?

Exponents are actually shorthand for multiplications, and represent the number of times a number is being multiplied—called the base. For example, (9) × (9) = 92, or 9 × 9 × 9 = 93.

Another way to describe this process is called “raising to a power,” in which the exponent (a number as a superscript) is the “power.” For example, 93 is “nine raised to the third power.” It is also easier to write larger numbers with exponents. For instance, instead of writing xxxx, we can write x4. (For more information about exponents, see “Algebra.”)



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