# Math Help - need help in solving exponents

1. ## need help in solving exponents

what expression raised to the fourth power is 81?
x with exponent 12
y with exponent 8
z with exponent 12

2. Originally Posted by lizard4
what expression raised to the fourth power is 81?
x with exponent 12
y with exponent 8
z with exponent 12
That makes no sense!
Can you expand on that question?

3. the 4th root of 81 is 3, so the equation must equal 3 or -3, the r est of your question is nonsensical as plato pointed out

4. ## Dear Pluto

What expression raised to the fourth power is 81x12y8x16
12,8, and 16 are exponents[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']

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5. Originally Posted by lizard4
What expression raised to the fourth power is 81x12y8x16
12,8, and 16 are exponents
that is nothing like the original equation, even some of the powers are different and there is no z, make sure you're not making a typo.

do you mean $81x^{12} y^8 z^{16}$?

if so, the answer is $3 x^3 y^2 z^4$

when we raise products to a power, we multiply the powers by the power we are raising to, that is, $(xy)^n = x^n y^n$. with that knowledge in mind, we simply take out a factor of four from the powers of all the expressions, since if we raise this new expression to the power four, we would multiply all the powers by 4 and get back the expression we started with