Chapter 4: Problem 21
Find each product or quotient. Express using exponents. $$(10 x)\left(4 x^{7}\right)$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The product is \(40x^8\).
Step by step solution
01
Distribute the Product
First, distribute the multiplication across each term in the expression \((10x)(4x^7)\).We can rewrite this as \(10 \cdot 4 \cdot x \cdot x^7\).
02
Multiply the Constants
Multiply the constant numbers 10 and 4 together:\[10 \times 4 = 40\].
03
Multiply the Variables Using Exponents
Apply the property of exponents \(x^a \times x^b = x^{a+b}\). Here, \(x\) is equivalent to \(x^1\), so multiply \(x^1 \cdot x^7\):\[x^{1+7} = x^8\].
04
Combine the Results
Combine the results from multiplying the constants and the variables. The final product is:\[40x^8\].
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Exponents
Exponents are a foundational concept in mathematics that simplify repeated multiplication of the same number or variable. If you see something like \(x^7\), it means that the number or variable \(x\) is being multiplied by itself 7 times. For beginners:
- \(x^2\) means \(x \times x\)
- \(x^3\) means \(x \times x \times x\)
- \(x^4\) or any higher exponent follows the same pattern
Multiplication of Variables
Multiplying variables, especially when they have exponents, involves a straightforward rule. For example, when you multiply \(x\) times \(x^7\), you are essentially adding the exponents. This is because:
- The single \(x\) is really \(x^1\). Therefore, you compute \(x^1 \cdot x^7\) by adding the exponents: \(1 + 7\).
- The result becomes \(x^8\), meaning \(x\) is used as a factor eight times.
Properties of Exponents
When working with exponents, understanding their properties is key in simplifying mathematical expressions. The main properties to keep in mind include:
- The product of powers property: When multiplying like bases, you add their exponents, as in \(x^a \cdot x^b = x^{a+b}\).
- Power of a power property: If you have an expression \((x^a)^b\), you multiply the exponents to get \(x^{a\cdot b}\).
- Power of a product property: To raise a product to a power, as in \((ab)^n\), you multiply each factor in the product: \(a^n \cdot b^n\).
Distributive Property
The distributive property is a crucial arithmetic rule that allows you to multiply a single term across terms within a parenthesis, such as in \((a + b) \cdot c = ac + bc\). In the context of the problem \((10x)(4x^7)\):
- Use the distributive property to rewrite the expression as \(10 \cdot 4 \cdot x \cdot x^7\).
- This means each of the terms in the first parentheses is multiplied by each of the terms in the second one.