Would x*x be 2x or x^2?
What do you think? Do you have any thoughts on this? If you had to guess, what would be your answer, and why?
I think it is x^2 because x*x is x^1*x^1. To multiply exponents with the same base, I think we just add the exponents?
Yes, you are correct. Well done.
The expression x * x represents the multiplication of x by itself. This can be rewritten as x^2, which means "x raised to the power of 2". To understand why it is x^2, let's break it down step by step:
1. Start with the variable x.
2. Multiply x by itself: x * x.
3. When we multiply the same base (in this case, x) with an exponent (which is 1), we add the exponents together. So, x * x can be written as x^1 * x^1.
4. When multiplying with the same base, we add the exponents: x^(1+1).
5. Simplifying the exponents, we get: x^2.
Therefore, x * x is equivalent to x^2.