Lesson 1: Powers and Exponents6.AT.5

I can…

I can write and evaluate numbers in exponent form using a base and a power.

Key words

• Exponent — A small number that tells how many times to multiply a number by itself.
• Base — The number that gets multiplied by itself.
• Power — A number written with a base and an exponent, like 2³.
• Evaluate — To find the value by putting numbers in for the letters.

Steps

1. I want to find the value of 2³.
2. The small 3 tells me to multiply 2 by itself 3 times.
3. So I write 2 × 2 × 2.
4. First 2 × 2 = 4. Then 4 × 2 = 8.
5. So 2³ = 8.

Try it

What is the value of 3⁴?

Check your answer

81

3⁴ = 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81.

Sentence starter

I know ___ because ___.

Goal: I can explain my work using the words exponent, base, power, and evaluate.