Understanding (4x)^2 without Exponents
The expression (4x)^2 represents the square of the entire term (4x). Let's break it down to understand it without using exponents:
What does squaring something mean?
Squaring a number means multiplying it by itself. So, (4x)^2 is the same as:
(4x) * (4x)
Expanding the Multiplication
Now, we can use the distributive property to multiply the terms:
- 4x * 4x = 16x²
The Final Result
Therefore, (4x)^2 without exponents is 16x².
Key Points to Remember
- Parentheses matter: The square applies to the entire term inside the parentheses, including both the coefficient (4) and the variable (x).
- Distributive property: To expand the multiplication, we multiply each term within the parentheses by the other term.
- Exponent notation: We can express the result using the exponent notation (16x²) as a more concise way to represent the repeated multiplication.