How do you find the exponents? - Answers

Okay, people, this is a very long and confusing process. That is, if you are wondering how to do exponents. First, let me give an example. Say your problem is 53. It is NOT NOT NOT NOT 5x3. It is 5x5x5. Which would be 25x5 which is 125. Basically, you are taking the big number (the main one) and multiplying it by itself the small number (the exponent). Not to be confused with multiplying the main number times the exponent. I know this sounds really confusing, and it is, but once you finally comprehend what I am saying, it is pretty easy. Another example would be 72. I have a feeling that you think, because it is a 2, that it is 7x2, but it would be 7x7 because you are multiplying the main number by itself times the number that the exponent is. So 72 is 49. Then again, if you are just asking me how to find the exponent itself and not how to find the answer to a problem with an exponent in it, then that really stinks because I just wasted five minutes typing up a really good explanation on how to do exponents.