Simplifying (4u)^2
The expression (4u)^2 represents the square of the entire term 4u. This means we multiply 4u by itself:
(4u)^2 = (4u) * (4u)
To simplify this, we can apply the distributive property of multiplication:
(4u) * (4u) = 4 * u * 4 * u
Rearranging the terms, we get:
4 * 4 * u * u = 16 * u^2
Therefore, (4u)^2 simplified without parentheses is 16u^2.
Key Points:
- Exponents: The exponent 2 applies to the entire term within the parentheses, including the coefficient and variable.
- Distributive Property: This allows us to multiply each factor individually.
- Simplification: Combining the coefficients and the variables raised to their respective powers.