If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Main content

Exponent example 2

We can write a number multiplied by itself multiple times in exponential notation. 6 to the 8th power means we have 8 factors of 6, not that we multiply 6 by 8. 6 to the 8th power is a much larger number than 6 times 8. Created by Sal Khan.

Want to join the conversation?

  • mr pink red style avatar for user Eduardo Arzate
    Why is it 1 if the exponent is 0?
    (81 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
    • hopper cool style avatar for user Milad Mehri
      The zero exponent is equal to 1 to satisfy a certain case in manipulating bases with exponents. When multiplying or dividing the same base with exponents we add or subtract the exponents:

      To find the value of (3^3)(3^2) [the short form of (3 X 3 X 3) X (3 X 3) or (27)(9)] we add exponents to get 3^(3+2) or 3^5 with a value of 243.

      To find the value of (3^3)/(3^2)[the short form of (3X3X3)/(3X3) or 27/9] we subtract exponents to get 3^(3-2) or 3^1 with a value of 3.

      Now let us consider the case in which the two exponents are the same:

      To find the value of (3^3)/(3^3) [the short form of (3X3X3)/(3X3X3) or 27/27 we subtract exponents to get 3^(3-3) or 3^0 whose value must equal the value of 27/27, or 1. To make the equation true 3^0 must equal 1.

      The general case is: (x^a)/(x^b)=x^(a-b). When b=a, by substitution, this becomes (x^a)/(x^a)=x^(a-a)=x^0. Now let’s consider it another way. On the left side of the equation we have a division of the same numerator and denominator, which has a value of 1 (anything divided by itself equals 1). On the right side we have x^0. To make the equation true x^0 must equal 1.
      (9 votes)
  • female robot amelia style avatar for user alejandroperez17.cea
    is there a way that someone knows how to do this easier
    (7 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
  • marcimus pink style avatar for user Lindsey
    lets say that my problem is 6 to the 8th power. is there a quicker easier way than doing 6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6 but not memory?
    (8 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
    • orange juice squid orange style avatar for user Ohad
      Yes, there is.
      What is 6 times 6? That's just 36, or 6^2.
      36^4 is equal to 6^8.
      Now, what is 36 times 36? That's 1296.
      1296^2= 6^8
      Now, we just have to multiply 1296 by itself.
      The result is 1,679,616.
      (9 votes)
  • aqualine seed style avatar for user Bill Rough
    I'm just wondering about the phrasing of exponents. At :23 seconds in the video, the way it is phrased is that 6 is multiplied by itself 8 times. That does not seem quite correct to me. 6^8th power multiplies 6 by 6 only 7 times and once by 1 times. Just being a stickler for words and their meaning but am I missing something? In other words, we start 1x6 and then x6x6x6x6x6x6x6. In short, the first 6 is simply six by itself not times 6, but fine, times one. Does this make sense or no?
    (6 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
  • duskpin ultimate style avatar for user Sajiya70
    I was practicing some problems about the Pythagorean Theorem and started off with the basics.
    I know how to solve this problem, but when I checked their method, they did a different kind of simplification that I didn't understand.

    I got to this point:
    ((17^2) - (8^2))

    But, instead just simplifying the powers and subtracting directly, they did this:

    ((17^2) - (8^2)) = (17 + 8) * (17 - 8)


    I know that their way is also right because we both got the same answer of 225.

    All I want to know is how they got from this:

    ((17^2) - (8^2))

    To this:
    (17 + 8) * (17 - 8)

    Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it!
    (4 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
    • leaf orange style avatar for user Richard Liu
      Oh I get what you mean, it's something we call difference of squares . Here's the fundamental principle used:
      x^2 - y^2 = (x + y)(x - y)
      In this case, x = 17 and y = 8, it's just something you can memorize to make life easier!
      It's one of the multiple ways you can factor a quadratic, it's also very commonly seen.
      Hope this helped :)
      Happy holidays!!
      (4 votes)
  • piceratops ultimate style avatar for user lishaleo3
    6^8 = 1679616. precisely like wow that's huge!
    (5 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
  • marcimus pink style avatar for user Carla McConnell
    At why are there so many sixes? I'm confused.
    (1 vote)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
  • blobby green style avatar for user nightfall
    OH I get it now!
    (4 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
  • starky tree style avatar for user Allan Worrell
    How do you think about fractional or decimal exponents such as
    2^0.3 ?
    (3 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
  • primosaur sapling style avatar for user leo.lin.2022
    what is 0 to the 0th power?
    (2 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user
    • orange juice squid orange style avatar for user Shawn
      It is undefined. Why? Think of it as a paradox:
      When 0 is raised to any number, it is zero
      When any number is raised to the power of 0, it is one
      So when you put those two together, it just doesn't make sense
      So that is why...
      Hope this helps
      (3 votes)

Video transcript

Write 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 in exponential notation. So what's going on over here? Well, we have 6 multiplied by itself how many times? Let's see, that's 6 times 1, then 6 times 2 is that. That's 6 times-- well, it's not 6 times 2. It's 6 times itself two times. Remember, 6 times itself two times would be 36. 6 times 2 would only be 12. So we have one 6, two 6, three 6, four 6, five 6's, six 6's, seven 6's, eight 6's. So we're multiplying 6 by itself eight times. To write this in exponential notation, we would say that this is equal to 6 to the eighth power, which is literally equal to 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6 times 6. Now, I want to make it very clear this is NOT, this is NOT, this is NOT equal to 6 times 8. 6 times 8 will only be 48. 6 to the eighth power is a super huge number. 6 times 6 is 36, and you're going to multiply that times 6, which is what? That's like 36 times-- that's what? 216, and you keep multiplying it by 6, you get some huge number here. This number right here. It's worthwhile to point out this number is huge. This number right here, not so huge. It is not huge. So don't get confused. If you see 6 to the eighth power, it's 6 times itself eight times, not 6 times 8.