Rules of Exponents
In the expression, x
n
, x is referred to as the base, and n is called the exponent. The
expression is read "x to the nth power."
An exponent tells you how many times to multiply the base times itself.
3
●
3
●
3
●
3 = 81
Doing math with exponents looks scary at first, but with the help of a few rules, it’s actually
quite easy!
Here are 8 rules of exponents:
1.
Product Rule (same base
): When multiplying two exponents that have the same base,
the base stays the same, and the exponents are added.
Example:
