Figure 1-3. The exponent indicates the number of times the number is
multiplied by itself.
(1) The small raised number, or exponent, indicates how many times the
number should be multiplied by itself. The first example, shown above, is ten to the
fourth power. Ten multiplied by itself four times is l0xl0xl0xl0 or 10,000. The next
example, ten to the third power, is l0xl0xl0 or 1000. Ten to the second power (ten
squared) is l0xl0 or 100. Ten to the first power is 10. Note, that any number to the first
power is the number itself.
Figure 1-4. Any number to the first power is the number itself.
(2)
And any number to the zero power is, by definition, one.
Figure 1-5. Any number to the 0 power is 1.
(3) Now, calculate powers of 2 for yourself in figure 1-6, following the
example provided at figure 1-3. (The answers are provided at figure 1-8.)
MD0058
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