Question

Liam was asked to express (12⁵⁰) 2 as a power of 12 liam wrote (12⁵⁰)² = 12²⁵⁰⁰ liam’s method is wrong. explain why?

Answer 1

Liam should have multiplied the exponents when raising a power to another power. The correct expression for (12⁵⁰)² is 12¹⁰⁰, not 12²⁵⁰⁰.

Step-by-step explanation:

Liam's mistake lies in his misunderstanding of how to combine exponents during a power-raising operation. When raising a power to another power, you multiply the exponents, you do not square the base and then raise it to the original power. The correct way to express (12⁵⁰)² is to multiply the exponents. Therefore, the correct simplification is 12⁵⁰ײ or 12¹⁰⁰. This can be easily remembered as a mathematical shorthand where an exponent signifies how many times the base is multiplied by itself.