What Are Exponents and Polynomials?

Exponents are a shorthand way to show repeated multiplication. Polynomials are expressions made up of terms with variables raised to whole-number exponents.

• Exponent example: \( 2^3 = 2 \times 2 \times 2 = 8 \)
• Polynomial example: \( 3x^2 + 2x + 5 \)

Exponent Rules

• Product Rule: \( x^a \times x^b = x^{a+b} \)
• Power Rule: \( (x^a)^b = x^{a \cdot b} \)
• Quotient Rule: \( x^a / x^b = x^{a-b} \)

Working With Polynomials

You can add, subtract, and multiply polynomials by combining like terms and using distributive property.

Real-World Connections

• Calculating area and volume.
• Modeling population growth or decay.