Final answer:
10 x 10 x 10 equals 1,000 and is represented by 10³, not 10,000. The value 10,000 is represented by 10⁴. The power of ten is key in scientific notation to easily express large numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves a misunderstanding of the process of multiplication and exponents. When attempting to multiply 10 by itself three times (10 x 10 x 10), the result is 1,000, not 10,000. This is because the power of 10, represented as 10³, simplifies to 1,000. If we were looking for 10,000, we would in fact be using the fourth power of 10, or 10⁴, which denotes 10 multiplied by itself four times. It is also worth noting that powers of ten greatly simplify the expression of large numbers, an example being the scientific notation. The power (exponent) indicates the number of decimal places the decimal has been shifted.