How can you use an exponent?

Answer 1

To use an exponent, simply multiply that number over and over again until you get what you are looking for.

Let's try 4 to the 7th.

4 to the first power is 4, so you move on.

4 to the 2nd is 16, since 4 times itself once is 16, (4x4=16)

4 to the 3rd is the answer to the 2nd power (16) times four (16x4=64)

4 to the 4th is about the same, and it just keeps going that way, but they get harder as you get to higher numbers. For instance, the answer is still 64x4 (256)

the fifth power of this number would still be 256, times four (1024).

4 to the 6th is 4096, since 1024x4 is 4096.

And finally, to wrap up this problem and find the seventh power, multiply 4096 times 4 and you have the answer (16384)! so

Four to the seventh power is 16384.

Also,

For bigger numbers, it takes more time, because often you will have to keep going up powers until you get to what you are trying to get (for instance, 97).

But many people know they WON'T have to do it with this problem (because many people know the answer in their heads):

10 to the 100th power is a googol (10 with 100 zeros after it.)

or 1.0 x 10-100th power. Or in scientific notation, 1.0e100, which still means 1.0 x 10 to the hundreth.

Hope this solves your problem,

-Kabob34