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What Is The Base Of A Number Raised To An Exponent?

Lets start of talking about the rules of exponents which is a multiplication shortcut. Let's start with an example. The expression 3⁴ means 3 is multiplied by itself 4 times: 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 9 x 9 = 81. Now let's break this example down into more detail.

• The first thing we notice is this is shorthand for multiplication.
• The expression 3⁴ is read as "three to the fourth power".
  
• 3⁴ is called the Base - the number being multiplied.
• 3⁴ is called the Exponent - the numbers of time the multiplication is being performed.
  
• Also 3⁴ equals 81. Since the 81 is the result of multiplying three - four times, it is called a power of four.
  
• Any Natural Numbers can be a exponent.
  
• Any base number with an exponent of one, is the base number itself. For example: 6¹ equals 6.
  
• Any base number with an exponent of zero, is zero. For example: 9⁰ equals 0. There is one important exception: zero. Example 0⁰ is undefined - not zero!