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Math Basics

More About Numbers

What common mistake is often made in exponential equations?

Unlike multiplication, exponents do not “distribute” over addition. For example, (2 + 5)2 does not mean 22 + 52 = 4 + 25 = 29. In this case, you add the numbers in the parentheses first, then square that number. The true answer to this equation is (2 + 5)2 = 72 = 49.

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