# Math Help - powers err help

1. ## powers err help

axaxaxaxbxbxbxbxb= ?

2xax3xax4xa=??

2. Originally Posted by starslacker
axaxaxaxbxbxbxbxb= ?

2xax3xax4xa=??
How many times does $a$ appear?
4 times.
How many times does $b$ appear?
5 times.
Thus,
$a^4b^5$

3. Hello, starslacker!

(1) axaxaxaxbxbxbxbxb = ?

(2) 2xax3xax4xa = ?

I assume those x's are multiplication signs.

You must be new to Algebra; we never use $\times$ for multiplication
. . because we also use $x$ quite often.

(1) It can be written: . $(a)(a)(a)(a)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)$ or $a\!\cdot \!a\!\cdot\!a\!\cdot\!a\!\cdot\!b\!\cdot\!b\!\cdot \!b\!\cdot\!b\!\cdot\!b$
. . It can even be written: . $aaaabbbbb$

. . Look at what we have: . $\underbrace{a\!\cdot \!a\!\cdot\!a\!\cdot\!a}_{\text{4 a's}}\!\cdot\!\underbrace{b\!\cdot\!b\!\cdot\!b\!\ cdot\!b\!\cdot\!b}_{\text{5 b's}}$

. . This can be written: . $\boxed{a^4b^5}$

(2) We have: . $2\!\cdot\!a\!\cdot\!3\!\cdot\!a\!\cdot\!4\!\cdot\! a \:=\:2\!\cdot\!3\!\cdot\!4\!\cdot\!a\!\cdot\!a\!\c dot\!a \:=\:\boxed{24a^3}$