Final answer:
48 can be expressed as 2^4 x 3.
Step-by-step explanation:
To express 48 as a product of prime numbers using exponents, we need to find the prime factors of 48. Prime numbers are numbers that are only divisible by 1 and themselves. To determine the prime factors, we can start dividing 48 by the smallest prime number, which is 2. 48 divided by 2 is 24. Dividing 24 by 2 again gives us 12. Continuing this process until we can no longer divide, we find that the prime factors of 48 are 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3. When expressed with exponents, this becomes 2^4 x 3.
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