Answer:
Exponents are a mathematical notation used to represent repeated multiplication. An exponent, also known as a power, consists of a base number and a small superscript number, which indicates how many times the base number should be multiplied by itself.
For example, in the expression 2^3, the base number is 2 and the exponent (or power) is 3. This means that 2 should be multiplied by itself three times: 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. So, 2^3 is equal to 8.
Exponents can also be negative or fractions. In these cases, the negative exponent indicates division and the fraction exponent indicates taking a root.
For instance, in the expression 2^-3, the negative exponent means that 2 is in the denominator of a fraction: 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/8. So, 2^-3 is equal to 1/8.
In the expression 4^(1/2), the fraction exponent means that we take the square root of 4: 2 x 2 = 4. So, 4^(1/2) is equal to 2.
Exponents have many practical applications in science, engineering, and other fields. They can be used to represent large or small quantities, as well as to simplify complex mathematical expressions.
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