The terms "exponent" and "base" are words that you can find in any algebra or calculus classroom. A base is a number or variable (letter representing a value) that you multiply times itself. The exponent indicates how many times you use the base as a term for multiplication. This is also known as raising the base to a certain "power." Taking an exponent base to one less power is a simple process you can perform using subtraction and multiplication.
Instructions
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1
Write the original base and exponent. For example, you might have 3^5.
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2
Subtract 1 from the exponent. In this case, you would subtract 1 from 5 to get 4.
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3
Use the base as a term in multiplication the number of times indicated by your answer in Step 2. In this example, you would 3 as a term four times (3x3x3x3), multiplying it by itself three times, to get 81.