Question 207621
<pre><font size = 4 color = "indigo"><b>
You are confusing {{{2b^3}}} with {{{(2b)^3}}}.
You would have been right if it had those parentheses.
But it doesn't.

Parentheses are very important in algebra.
When you put in parentheses an expression will
very often mean something entirely different.

ONLY the {{{b}}} gets raised to the 3rd power.

The {{{2}}} does not get raised to the third power because
it is not inside parentheses with the {{{b}}}

{{{2b^3}}}
{{{2(4)^3)}}}
{{{2*4*4*4}}}
{{{128}}}

Edwin</pre>