Exponent concepts -- introduction

An exponent means repeated multiplication. For instance, ${\text{10}}^6$ means $\text{10}\cdot \text{10}\cdot \text{10}\cdot \text{10}\cdot \text{10}\cdot \text{10}$ , or 1,000,000.

You’ve probably noticed that there is a logical progression of operations. When you add the same number repeatedly , that’s multiplication. When you multiply the same number repeatedly , that’s an exponent.

However, there is one vital difference: addition and multiplication commute , but exponentiation does not commute . This is a fancy way of saying that order matters. $2+3=3+2$ ; and $2\cdot 3=3\cdot 2$ , but $2^3$ is not the same as $3^2$ .