To rewrite the expression as powers, we just have to place one base number and one exponent number, the exponent must tell the number of factors there are, let's do it
![12\cdot12\cdot12-8\cdot8\cdot1\cdot1\cdot1\cdot1=12^3-8^2\cdot1^4](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/college/y8ho1grxenhk27iky26c7syamxu9pfyca3.png)
Observe how the number 12 has exponent three because there are 3 factors of 12, and so on...
Hence, the new expression is
![12^3-8^2\cdot1^4](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/college/es5fx5w0xrytham3g13diugq5a4b9cbula.png)