base

In a percent problem, the base represents how much should be considered 100% (the whole); in exponents, the base is the value that is raised to a power when a number is written in exponential notation. In the example of 53, 5 is the base.

cubing

Raising a number to a power of 3. 23 is read “2 to the third power” or “2 cubed,” and means use 2 as a factor three times in the multiplication. 23 = 2 • 2 • 2 = 8.

exponent

The number that indicates how many times the base is used as a factor. In the example of 53, 3 is the exponent and means that 5 is used three times as a factor: 5 • 5 • 5.

exponential notation

A notation that represents repeated multiplication using a base and an exponent. For example, 24 is notation that means 2 • 2 • 2 • 2. This notation tells you that 2 is used as a factor 4 times. 24 = 16. (Also called exponential form.)

factor

A number that is multiplied by another number or numbers to get a product. For example, in the equation 4 • 5 = 20, 4 and 5 are factors.

inverse operationA mathematical operation that can reverse or “undo” another operation. Addition and subtraction are inverse operations. Multiplication and division are inverse operations.
operationA mathematical process; the four basic operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
perfect square

A whole number that can be expressed as a whole number raised to a power of 2. For example, 25 is a perfect square because 25 = 5 • 5 = 52.

radical sign

The symbol used for square root and other roots. It looks like  and the number is written under it. For example, the square root of nine is written with the radical sign:

raised to the power

When a base has an exponent, it can be said that the base is “raised to the power” of the exponent. For example, 35 is read as “3 raised to the 5th power.”

square root

A value that can be multiplied by itself to give the original number. For example if the original number is 9, then 3 is its square root because 3 multiplied by itself (32, pronounced "3 squared") equals 9. The symbol used for a square root is called a radical sign and goes on top of the number. The square root of 9 is written as.

squaring

Multiplying a number by itself, or raising the number to a power of 2. 82 can be read as “8 to the second power,” “8 to a power of 2,” or “8 squared.”