Final answer:
The nearest power of 10 that exceeds 846 is 10³ or 1,000, as this is the smallest power of 10 which is bigger than 846. Understanding powers of 10 involves recognizing the pattern of zeros dictated by the exponent.
Step-by-step explanation:
To rewrite the number 846 to the nearest power of 10 that exceeds it, we should look at the power that is just greater than 846. Since 10³ is 1,000 and that is the smallest power of 10 greater than 846, we conclude that the nearest power of 10 that exceeds 846 is 10³ or 1,000.
Understanding power in mathematics involves recognizing that 10 raised to a positive integer n (written as 10¹) represents a one followed by n zeros. For instance, 10³ equates to 1,000 because it implies 10 multiplied by itself three times. Conversely, for negative exponents such as 10⁻⁴, it represents four repeated instances of 10⁻¹, which is 0.1, yielding 0.0001.
When working with multiplication or division by powers of 10, moving the decimal point to the right for multiplication or to the left for division is a helpful approach. This movement is equal to the number of zeros in the power of 10.