How do exponents apply to real life situations?

Answer 1

Exponents are based on real life situations. For example, scientist use exponents to measure size of an earthquake! 2 to the 5th power is 2x2x2x2x2. Another way they are used is when putting in carpeting. You will order 12x12 square inches of carpeting, or 12 Squared.

Every computer programmer have to learn math specially exponents,

and here is the reason

computer memory is strictly limited by the amount of hardware you have.

so you need to know the total amount of numbers you can store in one block of memory (in computer numbers can represent any thing audio-images-text..)

and also in cracking passwords in a way called brute force where all the possible letters and numbers are tried,

and to do that you can use the simple function :

x = y^n

Where x is the total amount of numbers(values) that can be represented(stored) in a block of memory that its size(store places) is n,

y is the count of digits in the counting system you use for example

binary = 2 (0 or 1)

decimal = 10 (0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9)

hexadecimal = 16 (0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or a or b or c or d or e or f)

for example to know the maximum value you can represnt by a 2 digits(boxes) decimal number:

value = 10^2 = 100 (from 0 to 99)