Skill: Write repeated multiplication using exponent notation

When the same factor is multiplied by itself repeatedly, write it as a power:

• The repeated factor is the base.
• The number of times it appears is the exponent.

Example

Rewrite:

$$(-2)\times(-2)\times(-2)$$

Step 1: Identify the repeated factor.
The factor being repeated is $-2$, so the base is $(-2)$.

Step 2: Count how many times it appears.
There are three factors of $-2$, so the exponent is $3$.

Step 3: Write the power.

$$(-2)\times(-2)\times(-2)=(-2)^3$$

The parentheses show that the entire number $-2$ is the base.