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Use the Product Property for Exponents: thoroughly explain why x · x = x^2.

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x^1\cdot x^1=x^(1+1)=x^2

1) We need to consider that whenever we have a variable its exponent is raised to the 1st power, even when we don't write it as a superscript.

2) So we can write out the following steps to get that product as x²:


\begin{gathered} x=x^1 \\ x^1\cdot x^1=x^(1+1)=x^2 \end{gathered}

That's why we can write that, applying the property of exponents.

User Robin Mackenzie
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