Question

How do you simplify `4^5 * 4^3`?

Answer 1

Think about the definition of exponents: repeated multiplication.

Therefore, `4^5` is basically just `4*4*4*4*4`

Similarly, `4^3` is just `4*4*4`

Thus, if we multiply these together, we get `(4*4*4*4*4)*(4*4*4)`

This is just `4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4` or `4^8`

There is a formula for this, which is just adding the exponents together, so `4^(5+3) = 4^8`