Exponents

An exponent is a number placed after and above another number that shows the power of that number, or how many times you use that number in a multiplication.  So if it says 2^3 it means that you have to do 2x2x2 which is 8.  And if it says 8^4 you multiply eight by itself four times, which equals 4096.  So that is basically how exponents work.  Also, if you see exponents in a long problem where you have to use the order of operations, exponents would be the second operation you do after parentheses only.  It is the "E" in PEMDAS, if you have always wondered about that like I did until I found out that it meant exponents.  So for example if you had the expression 3+2-2^3+(4-2)=, you would first do what is inside the parentheses, which equals two.  So now you have 3+2-2^3+2.  Next you solve the exponents, 2^3, which is 8, so you now have 3+2-8+2=.  Then you just finish the problem by working left to right.  So now you know how exponents work, and what to do when you see them in a problem with order of operations.