Exponents make big numbers a lot easier to write. The exponent tells you how many times to multiply the other number.

Parts of an Exponent

23 this is an exponent. The number on the left (the 2) is the base number, this tells you what to multiply by. The number on the right (the 3) is the exponent, this tells you how many times to multiply the base.

Two ways to solve an Exponent

Example #1-26=64 This means two to the sixth power equals sixty four or 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2=64
not 2 x 6

Example#2:44 or four to the fourth power. This is how to solve it- 4 x 4=16 and 4 x 4=16 then 16 x 16=256.

For more help with exponents go to http://www.purplemath.com/modules/exponent3.htm