Explain what 4 raised to the fourth power means.
4^4 = 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 = ?
256
To understand what 4 raised to the fourth power means, we need to understand the concept of exponentiation. Exponentiation is a mathematical operation that involves raising a number (called the base) to a certain power.
In this case, the base is 4. When we say 4 raised to the fourth power, it means that we want to multiply 4 by itself four times.
Here's the step-by-step explanation of how to calculate 4 raised to the fourth power:
1. Start with the base number, which is 4.
2. Multiply 4 by itself: 4 x 4 = 16.
3. Take the result from the previous step (16) and multiply it by 4 again: 16 x 4 = 64.
4. Finally, multiply the result obtained in step 3 (64) by 4 one more time: 64 x 4 = 256.
So, 4 raised to the fourth power (or 4^4) is equal to 256.