Product rule for exponents, step by step
Multiply two powers of the same base and the exponents add.
The question
3¹ × 3²
3¹ × 3²
3 × 3 × 3
1+2=3
3¹ × 3²=3³
n=3
- 3¹ means 1 3 multiplied together, and 3² means 2 3s multiplied together. The question multiplies those two lots together.
- So altogether that is 1 3s and 2 more — 1 + 2 = 3 of them.
- 3 3s multiplied together is 3³. So n = 3. That is the shortcut: multiplying powers of the same base ADDS the exponents.
How it works.
- 01
3¹ means 1 3 multiplied together, and 3² means 2 3s multiplied together. The question multiplies those two lots together.
- 02
So altogether that is 1 3s and 2 more — 1 + 2 = 3 of them.
- 03
3 3s multiplied together is 3³. So n = 3. That is the shortcut: multiplying powers of the same base ADDS the exponents.