An exponent is a number or expression written above a number, indicating that it is being multiplied by itself. The notation is made up of a base – the number being multiplied – and an exponent, which gives the number of times the base appears in the multiplication.
The resulting number is commonly called a power. In this example, there are 4 instances of the base 7 in the multiplication being expressed. 74=47⋅7⋅7⋅7 Most exponential expressions are read in mostly the same ways, whether they are numeric or algebraic.
Expression | Example 1 | Example 2 |
---|---|---|
74 | 7 raised to the power of 4 |
7 raised to the fourth power |
x9 | x to the power of 9 |
x to the ninth power |
22 | 2 to the second |
2 squared |
m3 | m to the third |
m cubed |
Notice in the examples above that two special cases were included; when a number or variable is raised to the power of 2 or 3, the exponential expression can be read as squared
or cubed,
respectively.