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Other fractional powers with a numerator of one work the same way, so a power of one-third is just like
finding the cube root of the given number.
Example
If the numerator is a number other than one, it tells you how many of the root number you need. If we
raise 27 to the power, we still find the cube root, which is three, but we need it twice. Multiply 3 x 3 and
you get 9.
Example
3/5
32 = ?
= 2
3
2 • 2 • 2 = 2 = 8
3/5
So, 32 = 8
Question
Solve
A 2
B 4
C 8
D 12
Answer
The correct answer is B. Finding the power is the same as finding the cube root of 64.
When Am I Ever Going to Use This?
Exponents can seem a bit esoteric; they aren't exactly the sort of math you need to use to balance your
checkbook. But scientific notation is a fairly common use of powers and exponents.
Scientific notation is especially useful for expressing very large numbers (think astronomy) and very small
numbers (think microbiology).
Numbers written in scientific notation are composed of two parts. The first part is a decimal number
between 1 and 10. There can only be one digit to the left of the decimal, so the largest number is really
