Answer:
In an exponential equation, both sides can be written as power of the same base when the base is the same on both sides of the equation. For example, the equation "2^x = 8" can be rewritten as "2^x = 2^3" because the base, 2, is the same on both sides of the equation.
To solve an exponential equation where both sides can be written as powers of the same base, you can set the exponents equal to each other and solve for the variable. In the example above, setting the exponents equal to each other would give us "x = 3", so the solution is x = 3.
On the other hand, in an exponential equation where both sides can not be written as powers of the same base, you cannot simply set the exponents equal to each other. Instead, you need to use a different method to solve the equation. One way to do this is to use the property of exponents that states that "a^x * a^y = a^(x+y)" to rewrite the equation so that both sides have the same base. For example, the equation "2^x * 3^y = 6" can be rewritten as "2^x * 2^(log3(6)) = 2^(x + log3(6))", where "log3" represents the logarithm with base 3. This allows us to set the exponents equal to each other, giving us "x + log3(6) = 1", and we can solve for x to find the solution.