SOLUTION: Simplify x^4*x^6*x^7

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Question 885269: Simplify x^4*x^6*x^7
Found 2 solutions by jim_thompson5910, Edwin McCravy:
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
In this case, we add the exponents

x%5E4%2Ax%5E6%2Ax%5E7+=+x%5E%284%2B6%2B7%29

x%5E4%2Ax%5E6%2Ax%5E7+=+highlight%28x%5E%2817%29%29

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20060) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I like to give explanations of why you do what you do in math, rather
than just tell you how to do it.  So here is why we do what we do.  It
makes math a lots easier if you understand why you do what you do, not
just how to do it.

blue%28x%5E4%29%2Ared%28x%5E6%29%2Agreen%28x%5E7%29

Break it down:

blue%28x%5E4%29%22%22=%22%22blue%28x%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%29

red%28x%5E6%29%22%22=%22%22red%28x%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%29

green%28x%5E7%29%22%22=%22%22green%28x%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%2Ax%29

So therefore

blue%28x%5E4%29%2Ared%28x%5E6%29%2Agreen%28x%5E7%29%22%22=%22%22

Count the x's. there are 17 x's all multiplied together, so we
write that as x%5E17

So a shorter way than writing out all the x's that are multiplied 
together and counting them up, is to simply add up the numbers
4+6+7 getting 17.  Then you don't have to write out all the x's that
are multiplied and then count them.  Just add up the exponents.

Short way:

blue%28x%5E4%29%2Ared%28x%5E6%29%2Agreen%28x%5E7%29%22%22=%22%22x%5E%28blue%284%29%2Bred%286%29%2Bgreen%287%29%29 %22%22=%22%22x%5E17

Edwin