Exponent
An exponent tells you how many times a base number is multiplied by itself. In Grade 4 math from Saxon Math Intermediate 4, students learn that 4² means 4 × 4 = 16 and 2³ means 2 × 2 × 2 = 8. Exponents are introduced in Chapter 7 and provide a compact way to express repeated multiplication—a concept that scales all the way to scientific notation and algebra in middle and high school math.
Key Concepts
An exponent is a number indicating how many times another number, the base, should be multiplied by itself. It appears as a smaller number to the upper right of the base. For example, in the expression five squared, the exponent is 2, which tells us to multiply 5 by itself, so $5 \times 5$.
$4^2 \text{ is read as 'four squared' and equals } 4 \times 4 = 16$. $2^3 \text{ is read as 'two cubed' and equals } 2 \times 2 \times 2 = 8$. $10^4 = 10 \times 10 \times 10 \times 10 = 10,000$.
An exponent is like a duplication command in a video game. The base is the character, and the exponent tells you how many copies to make through multiplication. A small exponent can lead to a surprisingly big result, making it a super powerful tool for writing and calculating big numbers much more quickly!
Common Questions
What is an exponent in math?
An exponent tells you how many times to multiply the base by itself. In 5³, the base is 5 and the exponent is 3, meaning 5 × 5 × 5 = 125.
What does squared mean?
Squared means the exponent is 2: multiply the base by itself once. For example, 7² = 7 × 7 = 49. We say seven squared equals 49.
What does cubed mean?
Cubed means the exponent is 3: multiply the base by itself twice. For example, 3³ = 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. We say three cubed equals 27.
When do Grade 4 students learn exponents?
Exponents are introduced in Grade 4, Chapter 7 of Saxon Math Intermediate 4, giving students an early foundation for algebra and scientific notation in later grades.
What is the difference between a base and an exponent?
The base is the number being multiplied (written normally), and the exponent is the small number written to the upper right showing how many times to use the base as a factor.
What is 10 to the power of 4?
10⁴ = 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 = 10,000. Powers of 10 are especially useful because each additional power adds a zero, connecting directly to place value.