2.5 Exponents (p.46-47)

I. Exponent: a symbol of repeated multiplication
A. An exponent shows how many times a number is multiplied by itself.
B. Exponent can also be called a "power"

II. Base: the number being multiplied (used as a factor) when working with exponents.
Examples:
The exponent "2" is telling us to multiply the base "4" "2" times. 4x4 =16
III. Rules:
A. Using the power of 1, makes the value equal to the base (original) number
B. Using "0" power of any number, expcept zero, is defined to be 1

IV. Reading exponents: aⁿ or a^n

• a raised to the n-th power,
• a raised to the power [of] n or possibly a raised to the exponent [of] n,
• a to the n-th power or a to the power [of] n,
• a to the n.

A. Some exponents have their own pronunciation: for example, a^2 is usually read as a squared and a^3 as a cubed.

Here is a brief description of exponents from About.com.
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