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How to Simplify Multiplication of Powers

The term "powers" is another name for the mathematical concept of exponents. Exponents are values that raise a base value by multiplying that base times itself a specific number of times. The power tells you how many times to multiply the base times itself. For example, x to the third power (x^3) means to multiply x times itself three times. You will have to multiply exponents if you take a high school or college algebra or calculus course.

Instructions

- 1
  Add the powers of two similar bases that are in a multiplication sentence. For example, if you have x^3 * x^6, your answer would be x^9.
- 2
  Multiply the powers that belong to a single base. The exponents will appear on the inside and outside of a set of parentheses. For instance, if you have (y^3)^2, you would multiply 3 times 2 to get y^6.
- 3
  Refrain from multiplying or adding powers of two unlike bases within a multiplication sentence. For example, you cannot multiply a^2 * b^2 because "a" and "b" are dissimilar bases.

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