Definitions: Base, Exponent, And Power

What Is The Base Number Raised By Exponent?

Lets start talking about the rules of exponents which is a multiplication shortcut. Lets 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".
  
• 3 is called the Base - the number being multiplied.
• 4 is called the Exponent - the numbers of time the multiplication is being performed.
  
• Also 3⁴ equals 81. The result 81 is called the Power of 3⁴.
  
• 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!