Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Exponents are a way to represent repeated multiplication of a number by itself. For example, 2^3 means multiplying 2 by itself three times (2 x 2 x 2 = 8).
Related terms
Base: The base is the number that is being multiplied repeatedly in an exponent expression.
Power: The power is the number that tells you how many times the base should be multiplied by itself.
Exponential Growth: Exponential growth refers to a rapid increase in quantity over time, where the rate of growth is proportional to the current value.