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
123
123
12.3
12.12.12
36 nuts 1,728 nuts
Which student is correct? Explain what the incorrect student did incorrectly.
Student B is correct.
Student A incorrectly interpreted the problem as 12 x 3 (with each 12 representing a separate quantity) instead of 12 x 12 x 12 (with each 12 representing the same quantity repeated 3 times). Therefore, their answer of 36 nuts is incorrect.
Student B correctly used exponents to express the repeated quantity of 12 for 12 hours for 12 days as 12^3, which equals 1,728 nuts.