Home > Algebra > Exponential Properties Involving Products

What does it mean a number to the 5th or 6th power mean?

Answer 1

It means that the number is multiplied by itself that many times.

As I said in the answer, we can think of exponents as a way of shortening the statement "A number #n# multiplied by itself #i# times"

If we wrote the quoted statement as a mathematical expression:

#nxxnxxnxxn...xxn=n^i#

Translating this abstract explanation into a more concrete example:

#2^1=2#

#2^2=2xx2#

#2^3=2xx2xx2#

#2^4=2xx2xx2xx2#

#2^5=2xx2xx2xx2xx2#

The special conditions here are fractional/decimal exponents and zero.

A number raised to a fraction is the same as saying the "#k#th root" of a number raised to the #i#th power:

#n^(i/k)=root(k)(n^i)#

An exponent of zero always results in 1:

#1^0=1#

#2^0=1#

...

#750^0=1#

#n^0=1#

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Eli Assouline

Raising a number to the 5th power means multiplying the number by itself five times. Similarly, raising a number to the 6th power means multiplying the number by itself six times.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.