A class is given this question on a test about exponents: A squirrel collects 12 nuts an hour for 12 hours on 12 days. Write an expression with and without exponents to find how many nuts the squirrel collected.

Question

A class is given this question on a test about exponents: A squirrel collects 12 nuts an hour for 12 hours on 12 days. Write an expression with and without exponents to find how many nuts the squirrel collected.

Two students provided these answers.

Student A Student B
12^3 12^3
12⋅3 12⋅12⋅12
36 nuts 1,728 nuts
Which student is correct? Explain what the incorrect student did incorrectly.

Answer 1

Student B is correct. The expression 12^3 means 12 raised to the power of 3, which is equal to 12⋅12⋅12, or 1,728 nuts. Student A's answer of 12⋅3 is incorrect because it is calculating the product of 12 and 3, rather than multiplying 12 by itself three times.